Rocks and Edward Newgate

The Black Pearl's cabin was small. Once they made a move, they would be exposed quickly.

"Forget the treasure! Take down those two brats first!"

Bennet, captain of the Heart Pirates, shouted.

But the Heart Pirates' eyes were fixed on the treasure before them. Even though they heard their captain's order, they could not bear to put down the valuables in their hands.

"Newgate, block the way up!"

"Got it!"

The Black Pearl's cabin passage was wide enough for two normally built people to pass through, but fourteen-year-old Newgate standing there completely blocked the entire route.

When the old man gets back, I'm definitely getting beaten up.

Seeing Newgate carry Magnus's bed over to block the cabin passage, Rocks bared his teeth but did not blame Newgate.

Without taking advantage of the cabin's terrain, the two of them could never have defeated an entire pirate crew. But now that Newgate had blocked the passage, the Heart Pirates had been split in two.

Bennet, the strongest among them, was stuck outside.

Only a few Heart Pirates enforcers remained inside, and they were nothing to fear.

"You little bastard, you're asking to die!"

Seeing Rocks ambush and kill one of their crewmates, the two nearest pirates flew into a rage. Stuffing jewels into their pockets as they charged, they rushed at Rocks.

At the same time,

After realizing something was wrong, the Heart Pirates outside began ramming the blocked cabin passage.

"We have to end this fast!"

Soru made Rocks move through the cabin like lightning. The Heart Pirates trapped inside could only see a dark shadow constantly flickering before their eyes.

One pirate was sent flying before he could even react.

"Kid, don't look down on me!"

One of the three strongest men Rocks had sensed besides the Heart Pirates' captain—a fat man nearly three meters tall—roared and charged at Rocks like a human cannonball.

In the cramped cabin, Rocks had nowhere to dodge.

"Iron Body!"

With a dull impact, the fat pirate crashed hard into Rocks. But after using Iron Body, Rocks was like an iron wall to him.

Rocks was only knocked back two or three meters, gouging two long trenches into the shattered floorboards with his feet. The fat pirate's bloated body, however, was nearly deformed.

"Iron Body Impact!"

The instant he sensed the fat pirate's strength give out, Rocks shifted from defense to offense. A metallic sheen appeared across his heavily muscled arm.

Bang!

With one punch, the fat pirate collapsed heavily to one side like a deflated ball.

Vaguely, Rocks felt as though he had grasped something.

"Still not enough."

There was no time to think further, because Newgate could no longer hold the line.

"Fall back!"

Following their original plan after hearing Rocks's words, Newgate retreated while Rocks moved forward, helping the larger one withdraw first.

But neither of them expected thick smoke to suddenly pour in through the cabin vent, eventually taking human form.

"You two little bastards really think you can beat me?"

Bennet, captain of the Heart Pirates, cursed furiously.

He had a bounty of thirty million Beli because he possessed sufficient strength.

"I ate the Smoke-Smoke Fruit. I'm a smoke man! It's one of the strongest Logia-type Devil Fruits. With my custom-made gun, even Great Pirates might not be a match for me!"

As he spoke, Bennet aimed the gun in his hand at Newgate, who was right in front of him.

Bang!

The gun fired. With nowhere to evade, Newgate could only raise his arm in front of himself.

But the pain he had expected never came.

"A smoke man? You're just a thief who sneaks in to steal when no one's around!"

Even Iron Body had failed to stop Bennet's bullet. Yet despite his arm being a bloody mess, there was not the slightest fear on Rocks's face.

"Trash like you isn't worth even a single hair of those Great Pirates!"

"You little bastard!"

Bennet flew into a rage at Rocks's words and raised his gun at him again.

"At this distance, do you think I'll let you fire?"

Rocks kicked Bennet's hand, sending the gun flying. But when he tried to follow up with another attack, his kick passed through empty air.

"Haha, you little bastard! I'm a Logia Devil Fruit user. All physical attacks are useless against me!"

Rocks's kick had passed directly through Bennet's body, yet Bennet had not suffered any damage. Instead, he stretched out a hand that turned into thick smoke and retrieved the gun that had fallen to the side.

"Die!"

His old strength spent and new strength not yet formed, Rocks was caught off guard when Bennet realized his attacks were ineffective. Bennet's body passed directly through Rocks's and pinned him firmly to the ground.

Bennet was about to fire.

"Aaaaaah!"

Newgate's roar came from beside Rocks and Bennet. He raised Magnus's bed and smashed it toward Bennet like a weapon.

"Useless. I'm a—"

Bennet had intended to say that he was a Logia Devil Fruit user, but what shook him was not the bedframe. It was the violent gale Newgate's swing had created.

Bennet was blown away by the wind!

"Hah... hah..."

Having suddenly unleashed strength far beyond his usual limits, Newgate dropped onto the floor and looked at Rocks nearby.

"Now I don't owe you anymore!"

"Tch."

Rocks looked displeased at Newgate's words, but he had to admit that if not for Newgate just now, a bullet to the head from Bennet would have either killed him or seriously injured him.

"What do we do now?"

Newgate asked worriedly. He knew about Logia-type Devil Fruits. That was not a power ordinary people like them could contend with.

"You hold off the other pirates. I'll take care of that smoke bastard!"

"You have a way to deal with Devil Fruit users?"

"I do!"

Rocks nodded heavily.

Magnus had once said that no matter how bizarre the powers in this world were, as long as they came from Devil Fruits, Haki could restrain them.

He had boasted to Magnus that he would master Haki in two months at most, but now nearly three months had passed.

"Haki can only be mastered in battle!"

Remembering what Magnus had once said, Rocks no longer felt any fear.

At the harbor.

Magnus and Ripley stood on high ground, watching the battle between Rocks and Bennet.

Although Bennet was a Logia Devil Fruit user, a Devil Fruit like the Smoke-Smoke Fruit, which could only dominate the first half of the Grand Line, was not worth Magnus's attention.

What he cared about was the figure behind Rocks, helping Rocks hold back the other pirates.

The system's text appeared after a long absence.

Sea Circle Calendar, February 1481: You encountered the future Emperor of the Sea, Whitebeard Edward Newgate. He greatly admired your crew member Rocks#*=&*... and solemnly extended an invitation.

"Become my son!"

Accept/Reject?