Who Called the Idiot Brat on Our Ship?

Although he did not know what abilities that legendary Devil Fruit possessed, how bad could it be if it was crowned with the words "legendary"?

Kaido had a feeling that fruit was at least better than Whitebeard's, Ron's, or even Golden Lion and Linlin's.

As long as he got his hands on it, it would be like adding wings to a tiger. Then he could punch Rocks and kick Golden Lion.

Kaido hurried over to Rocks and said seriously, "Rocks, gather everyone and set out! This is a legendary Devil Fruit. If we wait too long, something might go wrong."

Rocks glanced at him, then at the suited man standing nearby with his hands at his sides, before suddenly bursting into laughter.

"Wororororo, calm down, Kaido."

"A legendary Devil Fruit! Rocks, how can I stay calm about something like that?!"

He had Ultimate Taijutsu, and his Haki was passable now. All he lacked was a god-tier Devil Fruit to complete the final piece of the puzzle.

"This could be a trap set by those World Government bastards." Rocks' voice suddenly sank, like a basin of cold water dumped over Kaido's head.

"Kaido." Rocks looked at him, his tone carrying a rare hint of patience. "Stop thinking only about fighting and killing. Sometimes, use your brain. Since when was our intelligence network this powerful? If we really had that kind of capability, we would have found the legendary giant Great Hammer Warband long ago."

He paused and raised one finger. "Secondly, if it really is a 'legendary' Devil Fruit and the World Government values it so highly, they would definitely have taken perfect anti-eavesdropping measures during their communications. So why did we happen to overhear it?"

Rocks lowered his hand, a meaningful curve appearing at the corner of his mouth. "Hehehehe, there is only one truth. They want certain people to go there. Maybe us, maybe Roger's group, or maybe someone else."

Every word Rocks said made sense, but Kaido was beyond reason now. He stared at Rocks unwillingly. "What if? What if it's real? If we don't go, won't we lose out big time?"

Rocks' brow twitched. Then he raised his foot and kicked Kaido flying before snapping irritably, "You idiot! I said all that, and not a single word got through that thick skull of yours! Even if it's real, do you think you'd get it? Can you beat Shiki for it? Can you beat Linlin and the others?"

Kaido climbed up from the ground, brushed the dust off himself, and opened his mouth, about to retort. But the words stopped at his lips.

Rocks was right.

If the Rocks Pirates all mobilized, he really could not beat Shiki and Linlin for it.

But what if...

What if he went alone?

What if he got the fruit before anyone else even reacted?

Uh... the risk was huge, but so was the reward.

Should he gamble or not?

If he gambled, anything was possible.

But... if he did not gamble, who knew when he would ever get another legendary Devil Fruit?

"Whoosh—"

Right then, a figure descended from the sky and landed not far from Rocks.

Ron first swept his gaze over the battlefield before asking, "What's going on? What happened?"

"What could have happened?" Rocks chuckled. "Kaido's skin was itching, so I gave him a beating. But you, Ron—you look like you were expecting something?"

"Me? Hehe..." Ron shook his head and spread his hands. "What could I be expecting? I was just curious, so I came over to take a look."

His gaze fell on Kaido as he silently mocked him. What, Kaido? Are you some kind of freak? When your skin itches, you come running to get beaten by Rocks?

"Let's go drink. Coming, Ron?" Rocks invited him.

Ron shook his head. He and Whitebeard already had a tab at the tavern, and it was the kind where they ate and drank without paying, then took things away too.

"Is that so? What a pity." Rocks did not press him and turned to Kaido. "Let's go, Kaido."

"I'm not going, Rocks." Kaido suddenly changed his mind. "I'm going back to sleep."

"Fine, suit yourself." Rocks waved a hand, said nothing more, and walked away at an unhurried pace.

Only after Rocks had gone far away did Kaido turn and walk over to Ron.

"Ron... lend me some power."

Ron looked at him suspiciously. "Why? Going to pick a fight again? You brat... don't tell me you have some weird fetish? You feel uncomfortable unless someone beats you up every day?"

"What are you talking about?" Kaido glared at him. "I left something with someone else. I'm going to take it back."

"Then let's go." Ron did not think much of it. "I happen to be free. If you can't handle it, I can help anytime."

"No." Kaido's voice suddenly lowered. "Some things have to be done on your own."

Ron paused slightly, his gaze lingering on Kaido's face for two seconds.

On his own?

Then why was he borrowing Ron's power?

Still... Ron did not ask.

This guy rarely looked so serious. Ron did not want to pour cold water on him.

"Do whatever you want."

With that, he separated a portion of his Nine-Tails chakra and sent it through his arm into Kaido's body.

Kaido felt the warm power flow into his body. He clenched his fist, met Ron's eyes, and slowly said, "Ron, wait for me. When I get back, I'll show you something really valuable."

Ron watched Kaido's retreating back without thinking much about it. After shaking his head slightly, he turned and headed in another direction.

Time passed in the blink of an eye.

Early the next morning, just as dawn crept over Hachinosu's jagged rock walls, the hall of the Saber of Xebec was already packed with people.

A worn sea chart lay spread across the wooden table, its edges curled from being handled too often.

Rocks stood before the chart, both hands braced against the table as he swept his gaze over everyone present. "We depart at noon today for the land of giants, Elbaf."

After saying that, he paused. His gaze swept through the crowd, and his brow furrowed slightly. "Where's that idiot Kaido? Still not awake?"

"Kaido went out to handle something." Ron leaned against the wall, holding a freshly brewed cup of tea. "No idea when he'll be back."

"Handle something?" Rocks froze for a moment before cursing. "Where the hell could that brat possibly have business to handle?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he seemed to think of something, and his expression changed drastically.

"Wait... business? That bastard... don't tell me he went to Saint Sebastian?"

"Saint Sebastian?" Ron looked at Rocks in confusion. "What would he be doing there?"

"Yesterday, we received intelligence that the World Government found a 'legendary Devil Fruit' in Saint Sebastian. But there were too many holes in how the intelligence was obtained, so I suspected it was a World Government trap and gave up on going."

"But the moment Kaido heard 'legendary Devil Fruit,' all he could think about was how to get his hands on it. He most likely went alone to snatch that Devil Fruit, whether it even exists or not."

666.

Ron could not help admiring Kaido's nerve. He took intelligence that might be real or fake, borrowed some power from Ron, then happily ran off there alone.

Linlin sat in a broad wooden chair, propping up her chin with one hand while lightly patting her cheek with the other. She sighed. "That Kaido... really is an idiot. Even if he wanted to go, he should have discussed it with us. At the very least, he should have investigated properly and prepared before acting."

"Hey, Rocks." Golden Lion spoke up as well, his voice carrying a hint of eagerness. "How reliable is the information?"

It was not just Kaido. He was tempted too.

Although a Devil Fruit was useless to him now, this was a legendary fruit. That name alone made it priceless.

If he got it, it would become an immeasurable asset when he built his own power in the future.

"Shiki." Silver Axe crossed his arms over his chest. "Didn't Rocks say it's most likely a trap? If you want to go, figure it out yourself. I'm not going with you to die."

"Jihahahaha." Golden Lion turned to Silver Axe and immediately began mocking him. "Silver Axe, you idiot. If you don't want to go, then stay here. I never forced you."

"You bastard, what did you say?"

"Enough already." Linlin impatiently tapped the table. "Can you two idiots stop shouting all day? You're noisy as hell!"

"Who asked you?" Silver Axe and Golden Lion snapped at Linlin almost simultaneously.

For once, the two had agreed on something.

Linlin's brows shot up as she was about to curse back.

"Enough." Rocks' voice came from in front of the chart. "Quiet."

The ship's hall instantly fell silent.

Everyone's eyes turned toward him.

Rocks slowly straightened, lifting his hands off the table as his gaze passed over every face.

"I looked further into this matter involving the legendary Devil Fruit. It is most likely a trap, but we cannot rule out the possibility that they truly found a legendary Devil Fruit."

"Since some of you are interested in this 'legendary' Devil Fruit, let's vote. Do we proceed to Elbaf, or change course for Saint Sebastian? Majority rules. Fair and reasonable."

"I have no problem with that." Silver Axe was the first to speak.

"Neither do I." Linlin added.

Golden Lion clicked his tongue. He did not object, but he did not nod either.

He merely leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, his eyes shifting with an unreadable look.

Almost everyone agreed with Rocks' decision.

The vote officially began.

Some raised their hands, some called out their choice, and some simply grunted in acknowledgment.

A moment later, the result was decided.

The itinerary remained unchanged. They would still head to Elbaf.

However, Rocks delayed their departure by four days. On the surface, it was to wait four days for Kaido, but everyone understood the real meaning. Anyone who wanted to go to Saint Sebastian could go, as long as they returned within four days.

"Be careful, Lord Ron."

On the deck, Annika clasped her hands before her and softly reminded him.

The sea breeze brushed through the ends of her pink hair, while her eyes were filled with undisguised worry.

She knew she could not be of much help, so all she could do was make sure she said those words sincerely enough.

"Don't worry about me." Ron turned to look at her. "You too—don't force yourself when something happens. Newgate and Rocks are both trustworthy people. As for Gloriosa, I don't know her well. Use your own judgment."

This time, he was not going to Saint Sebastian for the so-called legendary Devil Fruit. He was going for Kaido.

Back then, when they faced Roger and Rayleigh, Whitebeard and Kaido had stood firmly by his side without hesitation.

He had always remembered that favor.

He was not the kind of person who spoke gratitude aloud, but he would repay it through his actions.

"Okay." Annika nodded gently and said nothing more.

"I'm off."

Ron waved, turned toward the railing, and instantly activated Nine-Tails Mode. A golden chakra cloak covered his entire body. He leaped into the sea and landed on the water's surface, his feet creating shallow ripples.

Just as he was about to take out his Log Pose, a voice drifted over from another direction.

"Honestly, Ron, you're slow as hell."

Whitebeard sat in a speedboat, one arm resting on the side while the other held his naginata. His face carried a mildly impatient complaint.

"Newgate?" Ron's steps abruptly halted, his face full of surprise. "Why are you..."

Other than Annika, he had not told anyone what he intended to do, nor had he planned to invite Whitebeard along.

"Can't be helped." Whitebeard shrugged, his tone carrying helpless indulgence. "Who called the idiot brat on our ship?"

Ron froze for a moment before understanding. He smiled softly, then leaped onto the speedboat and deactivated Nine-Tails Mode.

At that moment, Ron recalled a scene from the original story.

During the Summit War, there had been rumors that Kaido wanted to take advantage of the situation to ambush the Whitebeard Pirates.

But now, he suddenly felt that perhaps... Kaido had not wanted to ambush them back then. Perhaps he had wanted to help Whitebeard, only to be stopped by a fake Red-Haired pirate.

"Wororororo—"

All of a sudden, a figure cut a brilliant arc through the air like a falling meteor and landed precisely on the speedboat.

With a BOOM, the hull sank sharply, sending water splashing everywhere.

"Set sail!!!"

Rocks stood at the bow with his hands on his hips and let out a roar.

Whitebeard and Ron looked at that familiar figure, wearing identical expressions of astonishment.

"Rocks..." Whitebeard's brow tightened. "Why are you here too? We're going to Saint Sebastian."

Rocks tilted his head slightly, his gaze landing on Whitebeard as a cold smile curled across his lips. "Saint Sebastian is exactly where we're going. That Kaido dared to act on his own. I'm going over there to beat him up."

"..."

"Whatever."

Whitebeard fell silent for a while before finally replying with only that.

Then, as the speedboat started, its engine let out a deep roar, and white waves churned behind it.

The speedboat tore across the sea, racing toward Saint Sebastian.

The three men's shadows stretched long beneath the sunlight, the small boat cutting through the waves like an arrow shot toward the horizon.

Please send some free little gifts. I'm begging you.