The Pipe
The night wind howled, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of blood.
Bellemere was choked in mid-air, her legs kicking wildly, her face contorted with pain and rage.
She tried to break free, but she couldn't budge the leopard's claw, which was as hard as iron.
Lucci's eyes were cold, and his tone was indifferent. "It's over."
He murmured softly, his knuckles tightening again.
A series of cracking sounds came from his throat, and Bellemere's breathing became completely disordered, producing intermittent, broken sounds.
"Put her down."
A calm, deep voice suddenly rang out in the night.
Lucci paused slightly.
He turned his head and saw an elderly figure slowly emerging from the shadows.
--Rock.
He wore a faded dark blue coat, and his silver-white hair was disheveled by the wind, but it couldn't hide his face, which was marked by the years yet still firm.
An old pipe dangled from his lips, the smoke swirling in the night, enveloping his steady, mountain-like eyes.
Although their steps were slightly slow, they carried an undeniable strength.
"Don't come any closer..."
Bellemere whispered weakly, struggling to open her eyes.
"Damn Lucci... stay away from him..."
Rock ignored him, simply exhaling a puff of smoke, his voice hoarse, yet every word was as powerful as iron:
I said—put her down!!
At that moment, even the wind stood still.
The candlelight flickered, and the leaves seemed frozen in mid-air.
Lucci's round eyes slowly narrowed.
He stared at the seemingly frail old man before him, his wild instincts surging within him.
"Ha... old bastard."
He gave a cold laugh, his voice low and menacing, carrying Beast, savage threat. "Do you know who you're talking to?"
However, Rock's expression remained calm and composed.
That composure, however, made Lucci feel inexplicably uneasy.
An image uncontrollably surfaced in his mind.
That's Roy's face.
That man with the same unwavering gaze, who never backed down.
A sudden, inexplicable feeling of oppression and irritation welled up inside me.
"... Tsk."
Lucci gave an impatient snort and flicked his hand—
"Bang!"
Bellemere was thrown out like trash, crashing heavily to the ground and coughing up blood.
"Bellemere!"
Nojiko rushed over and supported her, his hands trembling as he pressed down on her shoulders.
"It's okay... don't worry about me..."
Bellemere gasped for breath, her voice hoarse, "Don't go near him... that guy, he's not human..."
The leopard-man had slowly turned around.
Lucci's tall figure cast a shadow in the moonlight, his muscles bulging beneath his skin, and his sharp claws trembling slightly.
"Just come with me,"
His voice was deep and cold, carrying a commanding tone, "I will not hurt them."
"Oh--"
Rock took a deep drag on his pipe and smiled faintly.
There was no fear in his eyes. He raised his head, his tone calm to the point of being casual.
"I never said I was going with you."
Those words, spoken softly, were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, Lucci's rationality to shatter in an instant!
"... What?"
The next second, his expression turned completely ferocious!
His muscles bulged, the leopard print on his back gleamed coldly, and his killing intent ignited like flames!
"Then it's not up to you!!"
"Whoosh--!"
Lucci's leopard claws whistled through the Sky Splitter, their sharp, metallic screech aimed straight for the old man's chest!
Airin gasped in surprise, and Nojiko instinctively shouted, "Grandpa Rock--!"
Rock did not move.
His gaze remained calm, even carrying a faint smile.
"Roy..." he murmured.
The next moment--
"Buzz--!"
Suddenly, the pipe at the corner of his mouth lit up!
A blazing red light suddenly erupted in the night, sparks transformed into lightning, and air currents exploded like the roar of a giant beast!
An indescribable pressure suddenly spread from Rock's lean yet upright body—
"What... what is this aura?!"
Lucci's pupils contracted sharply, and he abruptly crossed his arms in defense!
His entire body was instantly covered in Armament Haki, and his leopard print shimmered in the black light.
"Conqueror's Haki --?!!"
But it was too late.
"Boom--!"
A surge of crimson lightning erupted, instantly turning the entire courtyard into Scorched Earth!
The Shockwave swept in all directions, sweeping away air and dust like a landslide and a tsunami. Stone slabs within a radius of hundreds of meters shattered instantly, creating a deafening "bang" as the air was compressed to the sound barrier!
Lucci only had time to roar before he was struck head-on by that Haki wave of power!
"Cough--Ahhh!!"
Blood splattered through the air as his massive body was flung hundreds of meters, crashing through two stone walls.
"Bang--!"
It crashed heavily into a distant residential area!
Gravel, tiles, and thick smoke mingled with the flames as they flew through the air, shaking the entire area.
--silence.
Nojiko and Bellemere stood frozen in place, their breaths catching in their throats for a few seconds.
As the wind blew, the night seemed to be torn open by that invisible pressure.
Rock stood there, a pipe still trembling slightly in his mouth, its red glow flickering faintly in the night like an undying ember.
He slowly exhaled, took down his pipe, and looked at it.
"Call--"
The old man was slightly taken aback, raised his eyebrows, and a look of surprise and wry smile appeared on his face.
"This... I didn't do it, did I?"
He murmured to himself, his gaze softening as he looked down at the old, worn pipe.
A scene flashed through my mind--
The young man in the black trench coat chuckled as he took the pipe and said:
"Lend it to me for a couple of days, I'll store some 'fire' in it, Pops."
--That was "one year ago" on Experimental Island, Punk Hazard.
Deep within the massive research base, an ancient steel giant, tens of meters tall, stood silently in the dim light.
That is a relic from the "Void Century" —Emeth.
Ancient inscriptions were engraved on the machine's chest, with faint electric runes flickering within them.
"You're saying this thing is a relic from nine hundred years ago?"
Vegapunk stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the colossal shadow, his tone tinged with hesitation.
"And—it can also store... 'Haki'?"
Roy stood beside him, a smile on his face as always.
He reached out and pressed his hand against the cold metal casing, where red and black lightning flickered slightly in his palm.
"That's right," he answered softly.
"Saint Saturn secretly hid and studied this thing for decades, precisely because he discovered its special characteristics."
Vegapunk frowned slightly. "Wouldn't that mean..."
"If you can improve this feature,"
He turned his head, his gaze fixed on the snow-covered sky.
"Then, someone like me can reserve 'protection' for those who are important to me."
Even when I'm not around, they won't be so vulnerable anymore.
Vegapunk remained silent for a long time before finally nodding.
"... Leave it to me."
--Flashback.
Rock stared blankly at the fading red glow on the pipe, a slow smile creeping onto his lips.
"I see."
He muttered to himself, "This kid really thought of that a long time ago."
In the distant ruins, Lucci slowly rose, his body covered in blood.
The round eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, their cold light shimmering.
The leopard-man's body slowly shrank, becoming more slender, while the lower half of his face retained a human appearance, and dark flames erupted from his shoulders.
--Zoan, Cat-Cat Fruit, Leopard, Awakening Form
"Old man, you've angered me..."