Provocation

"They're all here, it seems."

Shiki looked into the distance. Quite a few familiar figures had appeared and were watching from afar.

Two hours had passed. Word had long since spread.

Everyone in the Rocks Pirates knew Jaeger's Son had arrived on the island.

Curious crew members had flocked over to watch.

Their choice had paid off. Otherwise, they would have missed quite a show.

A group of weak pirates could never have forced the two to reveal their true strength.

Fighting for two hours straight also showed just how deep their reserves ran.

The final display of the Death-Death Fruit's power had undoubtedly given everyone a surge of confidence.

"How nostalgic."

Some veterans of the Rocks Pirates—John, Silver Axe, and Ochoku among them—had joined in the crew's early days and seen for themselves just how terrifying Jaeger was.

No one but Rocks D. Zebek had been able to match him.

Judging by the potential Hades had shown, he could grow into another Jaeger.

They could even see Jaeger's shadow in him.

That stunning performance made some people realize there was no way to deal with Hades in secret.

Hades was already strong enough to become an officer. He still lagged behind Shiki, Newgate, and the other monsters of their generation, but that was only because he was younger.

In a few years, he would catch up to Shiki and the others, then become a core officer of the Rocks Pirates, second only to Captain Rocks.

Barring an accident, Hades would not die young.

Rocks D. Zebek protected the young monsters who caught his eye, letting them grow under his wing.

A monster only became a true monster once he had grown strong enough.

That had been true of John, Silver Axe, and Ochoku.

It had also been true of