Joining the Rocks Pirates

An Immortal Body?

Several onlooking members of the Rocks Pirates looked astonished. Injuries of that severity had actually healed in the blink of an eye.

"What Devil Fruit has an ability like that? It doesn't look like a Logia." Golden Lion narrowed his eyes.

A Logia's elemental transformation merely made it impossible for physical attacks to lock onto them. Their body became like flowing water, and ordinary attacks could not reach the ability user's actual body.

But they could still be injured by Armament Haki.

"I heard there's a Mythical Zoan fruit called Phoenix. It's somewhat similar." Streusen rubbed his chin.

"Is that so?" Stussy crossed one arm over her chest and propped her chin with the other, tilting her head slightly. "Kaido's recovery looks a little like time reversing, restoring him to the state before he was injured. Maybe he's a Paramecia User."

Everyone had their own opinion. As they spoke, the battle in the meteor crater erupted once more.

His Kanabo had landed somewhere unknown, leaving Kaido with no choice but to attack with his fists.

Whitebeard did not take advantage of him. He likewise cast aside his Naginata and met him with his fists.

The two exchanged a punch. Their Armament Haki collided, and black lightning spread outward from the point of impact.

Like a pitch-black spiderweb, it covered the surrounding area.

"Gurararara... Did you eat some kind of fruit? Don't you have any special abilities?"

Whitebeard grinned. "Not being afraid of getting hurt doesn't make you invincible, brat."

"Hmph, it's enough!"

The moment he finished speaking, the two exchanged more than a dozen blows in rapid succession.

Kaido threw punches at incredible speed, leaving afterimages as though multiple arms had appeared at once.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A barrage of fists struck Whitebeard's chest, yet they only forced him back half a step.

"Urrgh!!"

Suddenly, Whitebeard roared. His right fist was wrapped in Conqueror's Haki as it abruptly broke through Kaido's guard, landing an uppercut beneath his chin without even making contact.

With a deafening boom, the terrifying force seemed to make Kaido's eyeballs bulge. He shot into the sky like a cannonball fired from its barrel.

"Ah, that was quite heavy-handed." Gloriosa raised her head, her gaze following Kaido's flying body. "He's only an apprentice. Using Advanced Conqueror's Haki on him—aren't you afraid of beating him to death?"

Golden Lion laughed. "Jihahahaha! Didn't this brat claim he had an immortal body? He definitely won't die."

"He can't even use Conqueror's Haki coating. I really don't know where this brat got the confidence to provoke Newgate." Streusen shook his head.

Everyone kept their eyes fixed on Kaido.

Kaido flew five or six hundred meters into the air, then went through more than ten seconds of free fall before crashing back into the meteor crater with a boom.

"He passed out..."

Whitebeard looked down at Kaido. His injuries were visibly healing, though slightly slower than before.

Just then, another figure appeared at the edge of the meteor crater.

The man was tall and powerfully built, naturally exuding an oppressive aura. His hair was black and white, flaring outward like thick, exploded braids, and his features were rugged.

"This looks interesting. Is he really immortal?"

"Rocks..." Whitebeard glanced at the newcomer and spoke before the other could ask, "Don't ask me. I don't know what's going on either."

Rocks gave a light leap and dropped into the crater. The other members also came to Kaido's side.

They surrounded Kaido and looked down at him.

Stussy crouched down and checked his breathing. "His body is normal. It's like he was never injured at all."

"Wake him up," Rocks said.

"I'll do it."

Charlotte Linlin grabbed Kaido by the collar and lifted him up, then gave him several sharp slaps.

"Hey, wake up, Kaido! Explain yourself!"

Kaido's eyelids twitched. He was slapped awake, and the moment he opened his eyes, he found himself being intensely watched by a crowd.

Rocks smiled. "It's still too early for you to challenge Newgate, Kaido. First, tell us what's going on with you."

Kaido: "..."

"Did getting hit make you stupid?" Stussy covered her mouth and chuckled.

"Hmph, they were merely minor injuries." Kaido snorted and shot them a sidelong glance. "I just drank a cup of wine. After drinking it, I got a body that neither ages nor dies."

"Wine?"

They looked at one another. It was not a Devil Fruit?

But Rocks was intrigued. "What kind of wine has that sort of power?"

The two women were equally tempted.

Stussy: "Doesn't age?"

Gloriosa: "Wine of Eternal Youth?"

Charlotte Linlin said disdainfully, "Did you mishear? It grants eternal youth and immortality—the important part is immortality!"

"What would someone like you, who pops out children like popcorn, know about the suffering of a woman's youth?" Gloriosa rolled her eyes at her.

Stussy had no interest in arguing and pressed on, "Where's the liquor, brat?"

"It's called the Elixir of Immortality, and it's in a newly opened bar." At the mention of the Elixir of Immortality, Kaido's craving for alcohol flared up again. Unfortunately, the drink was far too expensive.

"Take me there." Rocks was intensely interested. "I'd really like to meet the person capable of brewing something like that."

"No..."

Kaido desperately wanted to refuse. He still owed Dimon a Devil Fruit and was a little reluctant to face his creditor.

"One glass costs a Devil Fruit in exchange. Even if you go, you won't get to drink it." Kaido grinned, then suddenly thought of a good idea. "I can take you there, but get me a Devil Fruit first."

"Brat..." Stussy's gaze turned hostile.

"Intern..." Gloriosa narrowed her eyes.

"Kaido..." Charlotte Linlin threw a punch at him.

After a crackling barrage of vicious blows, Golden Lion and the others joined in the group beating.

They couldn't kill him anyway; he would recover in the blink of an eye, so they could hit him as much as they liked.

Immortality Bar.

The little princess of Tide Sound was busy wiping down the tables and chairs.

Even though there were hardly any customers, the little girl felt uneasy if she did not keep herself busy.

Dimon sat behind the bar, spreading out a newspaper and reading through some old news.

Of course, he had heard the enormous commotion outside. He blindly guessed that Kaido had gotten cocky and gone to fight someone.

"Worororo... Boss, I'm back."

A familiar laugh rang out as Kaido pushed open the butterfly doors and entered the bar.

"K-Kaido." Orsea jumped in fright and hurriedly stepped aside.

Without even raising his head, Dimon said, "Here to repay the Devil Fruit? That was pretty quick."

Kaido's smile froze. Devil Fruits were extremely rare, and getting hold of even one was no easy task.

"Sorry, Boss, we don't have a Devil Fruit yet."

That was not Kaido's voice.

Only then did Dimon look up. The moment he saw the man's face, the other's name immediately sprang to mind.

Rocks D. Zebek, the ruler of Hachinosu Island.

After Rocks entered, another six people filed in behind him.

"Whitebeard," Edward Newgate.

"Golden Lion," Shiki.

"Gourmet Knight," Streusen.

"Former Empress," Gloriosa.

"BIG MOM," Charlotte Linlin.

"Miss Buckingham," Buckingham Stussy.

"They're all familiar faces..." Dimon chuckled. "Welcome to the Immortality Bar."

Rocks fixed Dimon with a sharp gaze and walked over to sit at the bar.

The moment he sat down, he got straight to the point:

"Boss, are you interested in joining our Rocks Pirates?"

"Sure."