The sudden shift in tone and expression sent an unmistakable signal: danger.
The crew of the Black Jack Pirates all turned pale.
They wanted to protest, but in the next instant, the young man sitting cross-legged before them released an overwhelming aura of supreme dominance. It struck straight at their souls, filling them with terror and leaving them trembling where they stood.
"Get lost."
The casual words froze them in their tracks, making it impossible to move forward or back. His attitude made it completely clear that he didn't think much of them—but what was even worse was that he clearly didn't think much of Kaido either.
What made Captain Black Jack's eyelids twitch even more was that every member of the pirate crew behind the young man wore the exact same indifferent expression. These people... really weren't afraid of them.
"Are you still standing there? Didn't you hear what our captain said? Get lost!" Chaporos shouted.
At the same time, Daz Bonez stepped forward. His hands transformed into razor-sharp blades as he spoke in a cold, metallic voice. "Want to fight?"
The ring of steel made every member of the Black Jack Pirates shudder. They glanced at Rogen, who was still sitting calmly on the ground, and then at the crew surrounding him. Not one of them had the courage to make a move.
"Let's go!" Captain Black Jack gritted his teeth and barked the order, turning on his heel.
Only after they had boarded their ship and slowly sailed away from the shore did the crew finally let out relieved sighs.
"Damn it! Those bastards have some nerve! They actually don't take Lord Kaido seriously!"
"Yeah! Who do they think they are?"
"That's Lord Kaido they're messing with! They're dead for sure!"
Captain Black Jack waved his arm impatiently, his face dark. "Enough. Our boss is strong, but that guy isn't weak either. He's a monster who escaped from Impel Down, and nobody knows just how powerful he is now. Besides, those three are all with him. If we fought them, we'd all be dead."
The crew looked at one another in silence. None of them had recognized Rogen or the others. Too much time had passed; history had long since faded, and only those who had lived through that era still remembered the terror they once inspired.
"That man's bounty was already 880 million Berries four or five years ago," Captain Black Jack continued in a low voice, taking a deep breath. "He's not someone we can afford to provoke."
His words silenced the crew instantly. An 880 million Berry pirate was a terrifying existence, even in the New World.
"Contact Lord Kaido immediately. Only he can handle this."
---
In the New World, before a cliff that towered thousands of meters into the sky, Kaido stood alone.
No matter how anyone looked at him, he resembled a monstrous beast more than a human.
Two curved horns rose from his head, an enormous sake gourd hung from his waist, and he stood four or five times taller than an ordinary person. His chest muscles were as hard as solid granite, his entire body overflowing with savage, explosive strength.
"Can I finally die this time?" After taking a huge gulp of liquor, Kaido burst into tears and shouted at the empty air.
He was the kind of man whose emotions completely spiraled out of control whenever he drank. Sometimes he would laugh wildly; other times, he would cry in absolute despair. Just then, the Den Den Mushi at his waist began to ring.
"Hm?" Kaido bent down, grabbed it with one massive hand, and answered the call.
"Lord Kaido! Someone took the Skypiean!" A panicked voice came from the snail, filled with fear and on the verge of tears.
"What?!" Tears were still hanging on Kaido's face when his expression suddenly twisted with rage. He raised his wine jug, took another huge swig, and bellowed, "Who was it?!"
He roared so loudly that his entire body shook, sending countless boulders crashing down from the towering cliff face.
"It was Rogen! Gol D. Rogen!"
Those words sobered Kaido up a little. "What did you say? He's out? And he stole Father's test subject too?"
To carry out his Devil Fruit experiments, Kaido's partner constantly needed all kinds of strange materials.
Kaido had always fully supported those requests, sending over whatever was demanded, and the Skypiean was simply another one of those "materials."
Naturally, Kaido knew who Rogen was. Back when Kaido was still making his way through the Grand Line, Rogen had already fought against the Marines and been thrown into Impel Down. What surprised him was that someone like that had actually managed to escape.
"Yes, Boss! He's out, and he took your test subject!" The voice on the Den Den Mushi hurriedly tried to explain the situation, but Kaido had already run out of patience.
In a fit of rage, he slammed the Den Den Mushi onto the ground, shattering it into pieces. Only afterward did he realize he hadn't even asked where Rogen was.
"...Damn it! I'm so pissed! My Den Den Mushi... I smashed my precious Den Den Mushi!" He took another long drink before bursting into tears again. "I want to die... I really want to die!"
Taking one enormous step, Kaido leaped straight off the thousand-meter cliff. The wind howled past his ears as he cried at the top of his lungs, his roar stirring up a violent gale.
Some time later, a deafening crash erupted from below. An enormous crater shattered the earth, and Kaido's furious roar echoed from its center.
"Rogen! I won't let you get away with this! No one in this world steals from Kaido! No one!"
---
Naturally, Rogen had no idea Kaido had flown into a rage. By then, he and his crew had long forgotten about the Black Jack Pirates.
They were gathered around a bonfire, enjoying a feast. Since they would soon be heading to Skypiea, everyone was in high spirits; a mysterious, unfamiliar place like an island in the sky was enough to excite anyone. The celebration lasted late into the night.
The next morning, just as everyone had gotten up and was washing up, a sudden rustling sound came from the forest. Moments later, a group of pirates charged out, led by Kabuki, the same man they had encountered before.
His face was twisted with anger and malice. The moment he spotted Rogen's crew, he burst into loud laughter. "So I finally found you, you damn rookies!"
Even now, he still hadn't recognized who Rogen and the others really were.
"I have already figured out your strange ability! Today, you're all going to die!"
Kabuki laughed wildly as his right hand trembled, and his meat grinder weapon appeared once more.
"Today, I'll show you my true power! I'll grind every last one of you into minced meat! You won't even have a corpse left by the time I'm done! Then I'll dump you all into the sea to feed the fish!"
His arrogant laughter echoed across the clearing.
"That idiot again?" Rogen looked completely speechless.
No one in the Nether Soul Pirates paid Kabuki any attention, but Kabuki led his men straight toward them, launching his attack without hesitation. Within a dozen seconds, he had closed the distance. Throwing his right arm high into the air, he laughed viciously and swung it down toward Rogen's head.
"Die!"
But in the very next instant…
A flash of sword light streaked through the air.
It struck Kabuki in an instant.
(End Of This Chapter)
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