As soon as Rocks saw Uchiha Chiga, he tried to use his Instant Transmission ability to escape. But to his horror, the power failed.
Chiga casually tossed a purple Devil Fruit with jagged markings in his hand. It was the Swallow-Swallow Fruit.
Rocks' eyes widened in disbelief. His stomach clenched, and he collapsed to his knees. A series of dry heaves followed, and to everyone's shock, several unconscious figures spilled out of his mouth—each one a Devil Fruit user he had once devoured.
From Dalton to Marco, they tumbled onto the floor, their bodies limp. Though the Swallow-Swallow Fruit didn't kill its victims, the experience was far from pleasant.
Panting heavily, Rocks glared at Chiga.
"W-When… How did you take my fruit?"
Chiga ignored him for the moment, inspecting the unconscious Devil Fruit users. He recognized every one of them. The Instant Transmission Fruit had once belonged to Van Auger, but after Chiga killed him, it ended up with Caribou's foolish younger brother. Somehow, Rocks had managed to acquire both the Swallow-Swallow and Instant Transmission Fruits at once—a windfall beyond measure.
But fortune meant little before Chiga. He glanced at the Caribou brothers, who were still unconscious. With a flicker of power, their bodies exploded into blood mist. Their fruits materialized instantly, and Chiga collected them into his Door-Door Space.
Rocks could only watch in despair as the treasures he had struggled to gather were stripped away in seconds. His chest felt as though it were bleeding from within.
Beside him, Alvida was petrified. Her face drained of color, and at last, she screamed and bolted for the door.
But she barely made it two steps before Chiga's power dragged her back. His hand clamped around her neck as he studied her terrified expression, amusement in his eyes.
"Alvida," he said lightly, "you've made quite a name for yourself in the Rocks Pirates. I hear you even bragged about killing Hancock yourself?"
Alvida's head shook violently.
"No, no, no! King, you're mistaken! It wasn't me! Rocks wanted her Devil Fruit, I only carried his message!"
Rocks' expression darkened. In truth, it had been Alvida who first suggested capturing the Pirate Empress. Her jealousy was infamous—she could never tolerate Hancock's title as the most beautiful woman in the world. Still, he didn't bother to expose her lie.
Chiga, however, grew impatient. With a mere thought, he stripped the Smooth-Smooth Fruit from her body. Her appearance instantly reverted—her slim figure ballooned into her true form, a grotesquely overweight woman with rolls of flesh crowding her face.
Alvida shrieked, staring down at her own hands in horror.
"Nooo!"
The sight made Rocks retch violently, coughing up the cherry pie he had just eaten. His face turned green. Memories he wished to forget came flooding back, leaving him desperate to kill Alvida himself.
She squirmed, her thickened neck straining against Chiga's grip. With casual force, he twisted. A sickening crack echoed. Alvida's struggles ceased, her body limp.
Chiga tossed her aside like trash and turned his gaze on Rocks.
"You're already an old man," he said coolly. "Why keep causing trouble?"
Rocks hung his head, his voice hoarse.
"Where's Aramaki?"
"You mean him? Don't worry, you'll see him soon."
Rocks' eyes flickered.
"So he's already dead by your hand. You're fast… Then die with me!"
He roared and launched forward, his fist cloaked in Armament Haki as it drove toward Chiga's face.
The blow landed with an explosive crack, tearing fractures through the walls. The room quaked as if it would collapse.
But when the dust cleared, Rocks' fist rested uselessly against Chiga's forehead. His eyes went wide.
"Are you… even human?"
Chiga only smiled.
"A solid punch. But a little weak. Try mine."
His fist shot forward, simple and unadorned, sinking deep into Rocks' abdomen.
Blood sprayed from the pirate's mouth as his organs shattered under the impact. Even Blackbeard's infamous resilience could not save him now.
A tragic smile twisted Rocks' lips.
"I didn't think… I, Rocks, would actually—"
Chiga yanked his fist free. The blood evaporated instantly from his skin.
"So much nonsense before dying," he muttered.
With a hollow thud, Rocks' body collapsed to the ground, lifeless eyes staring into nothing.
Chiga didn't spare the corpse another glance. Instead, he walked over to Marco and gave him a sharp kick.
"Wake up. Get up."
Marco's body jolted before he slowly rose. The Phoenix's power had already begun restoring him, though his head still swam. He had awoken during Alvida's death, but he'd stayed down to observe.
Yet everything unfolded too quickly. Rocks, once an unstoppable monster, was felled in less than a single exchange.
Marco looked at Chiga—the man who had slain Whitebeard—with a storm of emotions.
By logic, he should attack now, to honor his father. Yet that would betray Whitebeard's dying wish. Marco had more discipline than Ace ever did.
Besides, this was the second time Chiga had saved him. If Chiga truly wanted him dead, he would already be dust, like the Caribou brothers.
____
Advanced chapters are available on my patreon page
Read ahead of everyone 💙
Patreon.com/Zphyr