Night deepened.
Big Mom helped the battered Kaido to his feet. For a moment, her thoughts had still lingered on Roldy —but the instant her hand touched Kaido's body, her focus shifted.
"Ma-ma-ma-ma! That brat really didn't hold back! Over ten fractures across your body, internal organs shaken… And this happened to you of all people?"
She clicked her tongue in amazement.
She knew exactly how strong Kaido was. An unquestionable freak of nature. There were several within the Rocks Pirates capable of defeating him—
But to crush him so completely?
Very few.
"Don't struggle."
Big Mom lightly squeezed her left hand. A small, glutinous rice-colored lump appeared in her palm. She casually tossed it into Kaido's torn clothing.
In the next instant, his clothes sprouted a human face.
"Ma~ma!"
The fabric responded obediently.
Under her control, the shredded garment coiled like a python around Kaido's wounds, tightening to stabilize his injuries.
"Go find the ship's doctor and get treated properly. Rest up. That brat's strength is outrageous… I'm becoming more and more interested in him."
She licked her lips.
A flicker of anger flashed in Kaido's eyes—but he could do nothing. Given his status, Big Mom stepping in to save him was already a rare favor.
Roldy 's three-day trial quietly came to an end.
At just fifteen years old, he had secured the position of Division Commander within the Rocks Pirates.
The difficulty of that achievement needed no explanation.
A new day dawned.
Roldy was still sprawled across his bed, sleeping soundly.
In his dream, he had already become one of the strongest men in the world—and was currently beating Big Mom senseless.
As for why?
Obviously, she must have provoked him.
It certainly wasn't because she had interfered yesterday and struck him with lightning.
After all—
Everyone knew Roldy never held grudges.
Knock knock.
The sound of knocking jolted him awake.
Roldy had always slept deeply—but ever since leaving Marine Headquarters, his sleep had grown lighter.
He sat up, dazed.
"Mr. Roldy ? Mr. Roldy ? Are you awake? Captain Rocks has summoned you."
A pirate outside relayed the message.
Roldy responded, though his mood darkened from being awakened.
He dressed quickly.
This time, he chose casual attire—a black shirt, black suit trousers, polished black leather shoes. On his left wrist was a bracelet strung with unknown beads. Several rings adorned his left hand.
Opening the door revealed a pirate over three meters tall—yet bent forward in obsequious submission.
Roldy had officially passed his promotion trial. Word had spread. Many capable pirates were already considering whether to display loyalty early and secure favorable positions under his command.
"Mr. Roldy , I hope I didn't disturb your rest. Captain Rocks requests your presence."
The pirate smiled flatteringly, presenting a thermal bag with both hands.
"You probably haven't had breakfast. I brought steamed buns from the restaurant."
To survive in the Rocks Pirates, one either possessed overwhelming strength—
Or exceptional social cunning.
This man clearly belonged to the latter.
Roldy examined him briefly, then accepted the bag.
Inside were ten meat buns.
"You're not bad."
He grinned—a smile meant to be kind but naturally intimidating.
He clapped the pirate's shoulder.
A sharp cracking sound followed.
The pirate's face paled. He could clearly feel something in his shoulder protesting under that heavy hand—
Yet he endured silently.
"I'm willing to serve under you, Mr. Roldy ."
Roldy chuckled, once again reminded of the hierarchy strength created in the pirate world.
He handed the man a bun.
Only after seeing him eat it without incident did Roldy 's smile broaden.
"Good. From now on, you're under me."
Subordinates like this would save him trouble.
The pirate beamed in triumph.
Roldy waved dismissively and headed toward the Rocks Pirates' meeting hall, tossing buns into his mouth as he walked.
Along the way, pirates who had avoided him yesterday now greeted him respectfully.
Some called him "sir."
Others addressed him directly as "Commander."
Several capable men volunteered themselves.
Roldy ignored them for now.
Soon, he arrived at the so-called meeting room.
In truth, it was nothing more than a large table and a few chairs.
Pirates weren't like Marines—they didn't waste effort crafting meticulous battle strategies. Meetings were simply for discussion.
"Kehahahaha! Our Roldy 's here! Come, sit beside me!"
He was the first to arrive.
Rocks pointed to the seat beside him.
Roldy didn't hesitate.
After he sat down, Rocks tossed him a cigar.
"As I expected, you passed your trial easily. Today's just to introduce you to the other Division Commanders. From now on, you're all on the same ship. When war comes, don't mistake allies for enemies and slaughter them."
Rocks lit his own cigar and tossed the lighter to Roldy .
The exquisite lighter caught his attention.
After lighting his cigar, Roldy casually slipped the lighter into his pocket.
"You brat—already pocketing my stuff? Fine. It's just a lighter. Keep it."
Rocks' attitude remained relaxed.
For a top-tier prodigy like Roldy , he had ample tolerance.
While waiting for the others to arrive, Rocks explained the internal structure of the crew.
The more Roldy listened, the clearer it became—
This wasn't truly a pirate crew.
It was a massive coalition of interests.
As a Division Commander, he gained access to the Rocks Pirates' intelligence network. He could plunder at will—or do nothing at all.
It didn't matter whether the target was a World Government member nation or a powerful force.
No matter how strong they were—
The Rocks Pirates feared none of them.
In exchange, when Rocks required assistance—
The Division Commanders would stand with him.
A fair trade.
At least, Roldy thought so.
Rocks exhaled smoke.
"By the way—Shiki told me about the time you killed that Celestial Dragon. Ran into a slave transport ship, didn't you?"
That caught Roldy 's attention instantly.
"Slave transport?"
Shock and anger flashed across his face.
To think such filthy trade had been happening right under his nose—
His hatred for the Celestial Dragons deepened.
"Yeah. The Celestial Dragon Hunting Competition's about to begin. The people on those ships are just rabbits—expendable toys for those idiot nobles. You probably didn't know because Kong's lot protected you too well."
"The Celestial Dragon Hunting Competition? What is that?"
Roldy pressed.
Rocks' lips curled into a vicious grin.
"Simple. A massacre disguised as entertainment."
"They randomly select an island. Release large numbers of slaves—and sometimes the native inhabitants—onto it as prey."
"The Celestial Dragons hunt them for sport."
"It's their favorite pastime."
The hatred in Rocks' expression was unmistakable.
"I know a bit about your past. Don't rush. When everyone arrives, you'll understand what we're about to do."
A mysterious smile formed on his face.
Roldy 's heart stirred.
Could it be—
Things were about to get interesting.
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