As the news of Rocks' resurrection spread across the seas, undercurrents began to stir.
Although few still remembered Rocks, there were some remnants of the old era who recalled him vividly.
In a tavern within a gray zone—
A drunken old pirate stood on a table with a bottle in hand, loudly bragging about Rocks.
He went on and on about how amazing Rocks was. From his words, it was clear that he had actually known him. But when it came to Rocks' personality or appearance, he talked in circles without offering anything concrete.
In short, Rocks was extremely powerful—even stronger than the current Four Emperors!
That was when someone asked:
"How does he compare to the Navy Admiral Shikiryū?"
Cough! Cough!
The name "Shikiryū" had become taboo among pirates—so much so that just hearing it made people pale.
...
...
The old pirate choked on his drink from the shock, his face turning purple from holding back the cough, prompting bursts of laughter from the other pirates. They had long been annoyed by his bragging, and now they were happy to see him embarrassed.
Once he caught his breath, the old pirate flushed with anger from the mockery and shouted,
"What the hell are you laughing at!? Aren't you all afraid of Shikiryū too?!"
"…"
The tavern instantly fell silent.
Because, honestly, not a single pirate there could say they weren't afraid of Shikiryū. Even the old pirate himself slumped back down in silence.
They were all the dregs of the pirate world—washed-up nobodies. Ever since Kaito appeared, pirates who survived by raiding villages had been treading on thin ice. Their livelihoods had gone to hell. The patches on their clothes said enough.
In a shadowed corner, a cloaked stranger whose face couldn't be seen downed his drink in one go. He rose slowly, tossed some Belly onto the table, and headed for the door.
But his presence and movement were so out of place among the silent pirates that every eye in the tavern turned to him.
The mysterious man seemed completely unfazed by the attention. As he reached the tavern's entrance, he suddenly stopped, as if muttering to himself:
"If you're that afraid of Shikiryū, then don't be pirates."
"Nani!?"
His words dropped like a stone into still water—sending violent ripples.
The pirates all sprang to their feet. Some even drew pistols, aiming at the stranger who still had his back turned to them.
"Big talk for someone so smug! Aren't you a pirate too? Don't tell me you're not scared of Shikiryū?"
Hearing that, the cloaked man slowly turned around to face the group.
At that moment, lightning cracked across the sky, casting a flash of light into the dark tavern. For a brief second, the man's face under the hood was fully visible to everyone.
It was intimidating—he had no eyebrows, and a red tattoo ran down the left side of his face. Combined with his grim expression, he looked every bit the classic villain.
Had Kaito been here, he would've recognized him immediately—it was none other than Monkey D. Dragon, Luffy's father.
The pirates froze in place, stunned by the sight.
Not because of his face—pirates had seen all kinds of weird appearances. That didn't scare them anymore.
What terrified them was the aura Dragon emitted—a barely contained pressure, the unmistakable presence of a true powerhouse.
Dragon pulled down his hood completely, revealing his face in full.
Looking at the pitiful rabble in front of him, a mocking smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
"And why should I be afraid of Shikiryū? I'm not a pirate."
The pirates all swallowed hard.
Because really—if you weren't a pirate, what were you doing drinking in a place like this? Could he be… a bounty hunter?
Suddenly, the old pirate—ignored for quite some time now—trembled and pointed a shaking finger at Dragon, speaking in disbelief,
"You… You're the leader of the Revolutionary Army—Dragon!"
To be fair, the guy talked a lot of nonsense, but he did know a thing or two—certainly more than these rookie pirates.
Once the others realized Dragon's identity from the old man's words, their legs nearly gave out.
Because this man was officially labeled by the World Government as "the most dangerous criminal in the world!"
Dragon gave the old pirate a curious glance, but then simply shook his head.
These pirates… they were beyond saving.
He no longer felt like wasting another second on them. He turned and walked out of the tavern.
But just as he reached the doorway, he raised an arm and gave a casual wave—like a farewell gesture.
And then, his figure vanished.
The pirates collapsed to the ground, relieved that their lives had been spared.
But were they really?
A violent storm suddenly erupted in the street and surged toward the tavern.
BOOM!
In an instant, the building was obliterated. The storm tore through it, hurling splinters and severed limbs into the sky.
On a nearby rooftop, gusts of wind swirled together, gradually forming a humanoid shape—until Dragon's figure appeared once more.
He looked down at the ruined tavern, his expression unreadable.
From inside his coat, he pulled out several cut-up newspaper clippings—all of them bore pictures of Kaito.
He stared at them for a while, then carefully tucked them away.
His gaze lifted toward a certain direction—as though it could pierce space itself and see all the way to Marineford.
He murmured,
"Uchiha Kaito, just what kind of man are you?"
...
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Rain fell steadily from a gray sky. Kaito stood solemnly in a black suit.
Before him, Zephyr stood in silence, facing two gravestones—one large, one small.
Today was the memorial day for Zephyr's family—his beloved wife and their son, who had just turned three, lay buried here.
Raindrops pattered down on both men, soaking their clothes.
Kaito didn't use any ability to repel the rain. He knew—right now, it was better to let Zephyr have his peace.
Perhaps, to Zephyr, the rain on his body felt like the voices of his departed family, whispering their love and longing from beyond. Maybe, just maybe, it brought him a sliver of comfort.
Zephyr's face was wet—whether from tears or rain was impossible to say. He placed some offerings in front of the graves, gently wiped them down, nodded to Kaito, and left without a word.
Kaito, caught in Zephyr's emotions, felt a heaviness in his own heart.
He thought of his dearest friend from the world of the shinobi—Minato.
He raised a hand to his Rinnegan—the eyes said to hold dominion over life and death—and yet, at this moment, two tears slid down from them.
Kaito bowed slightly toward the two graves before turning to leave.
He had a Devil Fruit to find—to make up for his regrets.