Evaluation

The lightning completely dissipated into the sky, leaving only a massive rift violently cleaved across the heavens, like an unhealable scar carved into the world.

Hachinosu gradually regained its sounds.

The raging wind swept up dust tainted with the smell of scorching heat. Waves once more crashed against the harbor, while the air still carried the stench of lightning and violence.

Newgate remained silent for a long while before slowly walking over to Rocks.

"Rocks."

His voice was low, but he could not hide that exceedingly rare... unease.

"Was it really alright... to just let him go?"

Rocks did not answer immediately. He looked up toward the direction where the lightning had vanished, his blue-and-white hair lifted by the sea breeze as purple streaks flickered across his cheeks.

Then, his familiar arrogant laughter rang out. "Hahahahahaha—!!!"

That laughter seemed ready to shake all of Hachinosu apart. He turned and swept his gaze over the monsters of the old era before him—

Newgate, Linlin, Shiki, John, Ochoku, Kaido, Gloriosa...

Every one of them was a monster capable of dominating an entire region.

Yet at this moment, they were unusually silent, all waiting for his answer.

Rocks raised his utterly arrogant, grinning face. "What?"

"Did a little brat shake you up that badly?!!"

At that moment, no one refuted him.

The impact that boy had brought was simply too intense. Most importantly—

He was still so young.

Rocks put away his smile, and his gaze instead became profound.

He slowly spoke, his voice steady and certain. "Don't forget, I'm Rocks."

"And that brat—"

He raised a hand and pointed toward the place in the sky where the lightning had vanished.

"I have a feeling he isn't the rigid-minded type."

"As for us—"

"In the future, we might not become mortal enemies."

The moment those words fell, every strong figure on Hachinosu froze.

Yet not one of them denied the strange intuition in their hearts: that boy had clearly rejected them and had even said he wanted to join the Marines.

But they had not sensed any malice from him.

There had only been domineering confidence, and that fierce edge that proclaimed his arrival upon the world.

He was not an unlikeable boy.

The winds and tides stirred across the sea, as if affirming that feeling.

Just as everyone fell silent in thought, Kaido suddenly blurted out:

"You say that like... even if you wanted to chase him, you could catch up..."

"..."

"What did you just say?" Rocks slowly narrowed his eyes.

Kaido immediately realized he had misspoken. "Huh? Uh, I-I meant... I was only stating the facts—"

"State this, idiot!!!"

Bang—!!!

Before he could finish, Rocks sent Kaido flying with a direct kick!

That massive body flew backward like a cannonball for hundreds of meters before crashing heavily into Hachinosu's rock wall.

The entire wall collapsed with a boom, rubble raining down like a storm.

Rocks cracked his knuckles, his anger still unspent. "You idiot!! I heard you got put to sleep by a single slap today, huh?! With that little skill, you dare spout bullshit here?!!"

He roared, "Looks like it's time... to give you some extra training alone!!!"

A huge, dust-covered head emerged from the ruins. Kaido's eyes were red. "I-I really did my best!!! There was no way to dodge that move!!!"

"His Devil Fruit power is just too strong!!!"

Linlin could no longer hold it in and burst into wild laughter while clutching her stomach.

"Ma-MaMaMaMa!! Kaido, you're way too pathetic! I'm dying here!!!"

Shiki clutched his stomach and laughed madly. "Jihahahahaha!! Kaido, stop bragging in front of us from now on!! You couldn't even withstand a little brat's slap!!!"

Ochoku and John exchanged glances and sighed together.

Gloriosa shook her head. "My, my... this child is still too green."

Hachinosu returned to its usual chaos, clamor, and bickering... as though nothing had happened.

At the edge of the harbor, Shakuyaku stood alone in the shadows.

The sea breeze lifted her long hair, scattering the ash from the cigarette between her fingers. She gazed toward the distant horizon where the lightning had gone and softly murmured, "A monstrous boy... who will change the era."

North Blue · A nameless island

The sunlight was bright, the sea breeze gentle, and seabirds drifted lazily overhead.

But in the next instant—

Boom—!!!

The entire sky was torn apart!

A terrifying pillar of lightning descended from the clear sky without warning, crashing down like divine wrath.

The island instantly shook, and some weaker creatures were frightened unconscious on the spot.

A massive crater exploded open, flames and dust billowing dozens of meters into the air.

Within the smoke and dust, a half-charred figure struggled to push himself upright.

Rock clutched his waist, grimacing and howling, "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow—!!!"

"Damn! Rocks really hits way too hard!!!"

"Using a Conqueror's Haki Coating finisher the moment we met?!!"

He leaped out of the crater. His hair looked like an exploded bird's nest, and ash drifted down from the scorched edges of his clothes.

Yet undisguised excitement hung at the corners of his mouth. "Haha... that was intense!"

"As expected, every monster in this era fights without any sense of honor."

He shook his right arm. Cracks left by Conqueror's Haki Coating still glimmered faintly across his skin.

"If I hadn't turned into lightning beforehand... this arm would probably have been wrecked."

Even so, his eyes held only excitement and fighting spirit. Just as he muttered to himself—

"You!! Who are you?!!"

A boy's furious shout screeched like steel grinding against steel.

Rock slightly raised his eyes. His Observation Haki had sensed the other person's presence long ago, but he had simply been too lazy to care.

When he truly saw the other person, the corners of his mouth slowly lifted.

The sea breeze blew away the smoke and dust, revealing a boy.

He was only around ten years old, yet his muscles were as firm as those of an adult pugilist. His red shirt hung open, revealing a chest as solid as rock.

He wore a brown hat bearing the word "Justice." His gaze was sharp, and he held a short blade in his right hand, aiming it at Rock without the slightest fear.

Those eyes... were like magma before a volcanic eruption.

Seeing this, Rock could not help but chuckle. "Yo~ Isn't this Sakazuki?"

The boy's pupils abruptly contracted, as though someone had uncovered a secret. "You... how do you know my name?!!!"

Rock narrowed his eyes. In this child's gaze, he saw the shadow of the future Fleet Admiral—

That obsession that would sacrifice everything for "justice."

Though he was still a child, he already possessed an abnormal "hardness of justice."

Rock raised a finger, lightning flickering softly over it like a mote of light he was casually playing with. "There are many things I know."

Sakazuki immediately planted one foot forward, raised his short blade, and took up a practiced stance. "Answer me!!!"

"Who exactly are you?! Why did you fall from the sky?! And why do you know my name?!!"

Rock tilted his head and revealed a mischievous smile. "Who am I? Hmm... you can think of me as—"

"Big brother Justice~"

The moment those words fell, Sakazuki froze for a second. Then his eyes instantly ignited!!!

"Bullshit!!! Suspicious individuals—"

He roared, his short blade cleaving down with astonishing force. "Must!! Be!! Executed!!!"

Rock blinked. "My, what a fiery temper~"

Lightning exploded beneath his feet.