First Battle at Hachinosu

Hachinosu Harbor

The air reeked of alcohol, blood, and killing intent.

Rock had barely taken a step when dozens of pirate crews immediately surrounded him.

They bared fang-like grins, every word they spat as disgusting as maggots crawling out of a trash can.

"Asshole! You must have bullied Lady Shakuyaku!!!"

"You little brat, you actually dared walk out from behind her! Get on your knees already!"

"This is Hachinosu! Are you tired of living?!!"

Sharp axes, long blades, iron chains, guns... all were drawn.

Weapons clattered as their blades reflected a cold, sinister light.

Shakuyaku wanted to speak, but she was instantly shoved back into a protective circle by hundreds of bootlicking pirates. "Lady Shakuyaku, don't be afraid!!!"

"We'll stand in front of you!!!"

"Anyone who dares touch Lady Shakuyaku today will die eight hundred times over!!!"

Shakuyaku: "...?"

On the shore, Toritoma met Shakuyaku's eyes. Shakuyaku made a subtle gesture—leave, quickly.

Toritoma immediately understood and hurriedly turned around, shouting, "Kuja Pirates! Prepare to leave the harbor! Immediately!!!"

The Perfume Yuda turned and swiftly retreated.

Rock naturally saw it. He smiled. "What a... realistic pirate world."

He slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the vicious-looking pirates surrounding him.

Their minds were filled with filth, desire, malice, and cruelty.

His powerful Observation Haki clearly heard their "inner voices": "Catch him and chop him to pieces!!"

"Maybe Rocks will promote us if we offer him to him!"

"Watch how I skin him alive!!"

Rock gave a soft laugh, his gaze turning icy. "Looks like..."

"I'll have to make some noise to lure out your boss."

He raised a hand.

The sky... suddenly darkened.

The next instant—

"Rumble—!!!"

Thunder tore across the entire sky!

Immediately after—

"Boom—!!!"

Several pillars of lightning dozens of meters wide descended vertically from ten thousand meters above!

The harbor was instantly swallowed by lightning, and the deafening blast shook the entire island.

Screams rose one after another. "Aaaaargh—!!!"

"Hot! It's so hot!!!"

"A Logia!! He's a Logia user!!!"

"Quick! Call the officers! Hurry!!!"

The lightning vanished in an instant.

As the smoke and dust slowly dispersed, nearly every pirate in the harbor had fallen.

Some were charred black, some convulsed, and some lay on their backs with white eyes, smoke rising from their bodies. Their wails were unbearable to hear.

Only the area around Shakuyaku remained spotless, without even a trace of lightning having struck it.

She covered her mouth, her pupils contracting sharply. "In an instant... he cleared out the entire harbor?"

Amid the charred wreckage, Rock stepped across the shattered ground, his face full of disgust and impatience. "I really don't have even the slightest fondness for trash like you."

"Your heads are full of filthy thoughts... just hearing your inner voices makes me want to vomit."

—Just then.

"Boom—!!!"

An incomparably violent aura howled from the depths of Hachinosu, like a beast regaining its freedom!

A massive shadow burst through the dust, crushing the ground beneath its feet as wild laughter and an angry roar followed. "Worororororo—!!!"

"Not bad, brat!! You're pretty arrogant!!!"

Rock's Observation Haki had locked onto him a second before he burst from the ruins.

A dangerous smile curled across his lips. "Here he comes... the pirate elite monster."

"Boom—!!!"

Rubble shot through the air as a monster nearly seven meters tall charged out with earth-splitting force!

Long black hair draped over his shoulders, his back was like a mountain, his arms thicker than stone pillars, and curved dragon horns rose from his head!

He swung an enormous spiked club, its passage carrying hurricane-like gusts as savage killing intent surged forth—

"Hey!! Brat!! Tell me your name!!!"

Watching the berserk beast charge in, the pirates instinctively scattered, terrified of being caught in the aftermath.

Yet Rock merely lifted his eyes slightly, looking at Kaido as though he were nothing more than a bug that had jumped especially high.

"The you from this era," he said flatly, "isn't qualified to speak to me like that."

"Crack!!!"

Lightning exploded!

Rock vanished from where he stood!

"Lightning Flash!"

The next instant.

He had transformed into lightning and appeared directly before Kaido, close enough to see the fear in Kaido's eyes.

Kaido's pupils abruptly shrank as he roared inwardly, Observation Haki... it didn't react at all!!!

Before he could react, Kaido saw only a flash of aurora.

"Boom—!!!"

Lightning Roar tore apart heaven and earth!

A Lightning Burst shockwave condensed with the fury of a thunder god exploded before Rock!

Kaido was struck head-on by the lightning cannon, his entire body pierced through before he could even scream!

"Boom!! Boom boom boom boom boom—!!"

His enormous body was blasted away like a cannonball, smashing through Hachinosu's buildings one after another!

A scorched, smoking furrow hundreds of meters long was carved in his wake! Finally, he crashed into the depths of the ruins with a boom, collapsing amid the rubble!

His entire body was blackened, residual arcs of electricity twitching across his muscles... like a huge slab of meat charred by lightning.

The entirety of Hachinosu fell into deathly silence.

The pirates who had been barking so loudly moments ago stared wide-eyed, their mouths hanging open as if their jaws might drop. "Th-that was Kaido...!!!"

"That monster rookie Captain Rocks values so highly!!!"

"He was... taken out in one move by that brat???"

"No... we didn't even see when he moved!!!"

The lightning gradually faded, leaving scorched cracks and smoke across the ground.

Rock slowly emerged from the electric glow, clapping his hands with a helpless yet amused expression. "Kaido at this point really is such a fool~"

The moment his words fell—

"Whoosh—!!!"

A golden beam descended from the sky!

Violent sword energy tore through the air as a golden cape spread open in midair like a roaring giant lion.

Rocks Pirates officer—Shiki!!!

Shiki streaked through the sky, gripping Oto and Kogarashi in either hand, his laughter arrogant. "Hahaha! Brat!! Looks like we've got a show to enjoy today!!!"

"Shishi: Senjindani!!!"

Golden light flashed as Shiki swung his blades like the wind, slashing more than a dozen times in rapid succession!

Countless enormous sword strikes tore through the air, sweeping toward Rock with the force to destroy the world!

Faced with such overwhelming power, Rock not only did not retreat, but raised his head with an excited smile.

"Oh?"

"Interesting."

He pressed his palms together as lightning suddenly erupted around him, thunder surging wildly!

"Thunder Prison: Chidori!!!"

"Boom!!!"

Countless arcs of lightning gathered around Rock, transforming into dozens of lightning birds that spread their claws and crackled violently!

They screeched through the air and charged toward Shiki's slashes!!

The next second—

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom—!!!"

A series of violent explosions detonated!

Sword energy and lightning birds collided in the sky, bursting like a meteor shower as shockwaves swept across the entire harbor!

At the harbor's edge, the pirate grunts were instantly blasted several meters away!

"Aaargh!!!"

"Help—!!!"

Shakuyaku was nearly blown off her feet by the rising shockwaves, about to be swept into the blast zone.

At that critical moment, a nimble, graceful figure rushed over!

"Shakuyaku!! This way!!"

Slender arms forcibly grabbed Shakuyaku and pulled her out of the explosive turbulence!

Shakuyaku turned around and froze. "Gloriosa?!"

Those beautiful yet dangerous eyes belonged to the former captain of the Kuja Pirates, who seemed gentle but possessed unfathomable strength.

Gloriosa elegantly flicked her hair. "Long time no see~ Shakuyaku."

As Shakuyaku was still stunned, heavy footsteps sounded from behind.

Charlotte Linlin's mountain-like figure emerged from the smoke, still cradling an entire barrel of alcohol in her arms.

"MaMaMaMa!!! That brat is pretty good—!!!"

As she drank, she stared at the battle of lightning and sword energy raging in the sky, her eyes gleaming with excitement like a lion spotting prey.

Elsewhere, amid the ruins.

A huge figure was carried out slung over Whitebeard's shoulder.

His entire body was charred black, his eyes rolled back, and smoke rose from his hair. It was Kaido, whom Rock had slapped unconscious.

Whitebeard shook him, his tone unusually grave. "Hey, brat, wake up."

Kaido groaned twice, his eyelids twitching as he grit his teeth and forced himself upright.

He looked toward the center of the harbor, at the battlefield where lightning and golden light tore through the sky, and his heart gave a violent jolt.

"That brat... actually..."

Whitebeard said quietly, "He knocked you out in one move."

Kaido's pupils contracted sharply, an unprecedented shudder racing up his spine.

He licked his lips, the burned skin there cracking slightly. "Damn it..."

"What kind of monster is that brat?"

Whitebeard's expression darkened as he tightened his grip on Murakumogiri, his eyes fixed on the lightning-clad figure battling in the sky. "Lightning as a Logia..."

At that moment, the air over Hachinosu completely boiled.