Encounter with Ochoku
"Go out to sea. You can use my name if you want. Let the world know the Quincy exist."
"Yes, sir!" ×N
The pirates who had just gained their powers immediately lit up with excitement at those words.
Wasn't he telling them to go cause trouble? That was easy. Burning, killing, looting, doing evil and wreaking havoc were right in their comfort zone.
Kaya watched the group of newly made Quincy he had casually converted sail off with such enthusiasm. His expression barely changed.
They were on the coast, where many ships were docked, each flying a skull flag. Their exaggerated, sinister designs suited pirate tastes.
Before long, one of the pirate ships got underway, turning its bow toward the open sea.
Kaya also noticed that someone had replaced the ship's flag, swapping the skull clutching long leg bones for a silver five-pointed star.
The five-pointed star... was the Quincy emblem.
Beyond lay the boundless sea, against which the ships looked especially small.
Kaya stopped gazing into the distance and turned back toward the island.
Now that he was here, it wouldn't do for him to accomplish nothing. For now, he would make the Quincy name resound across the seas.
By drawing more attention, he could nurture more Quincy and expand his forces.
Still, these small fry would have a hard time making a significant difference to the overall battle unless their numbers were truly enormous-enough for a quantitative change to bring about a qualitative one.
That was what he was doing now, and it was also a way to strengthen himself.
If he found anyone with good aptitude or anyone suitable, he could take them on as proper subordinates.
As for what he would do in the future, he was in no hurry to decide.
Kaya returned inland, lost in thought as he walked.
Although he had fought Rocks and Kaido, he still wasn't sure exactly where his strength ranked on these seas.
His fight with Rocks had really been nothing more than a spar, just a few exchanges. Rocks definitely hadn't been serious.
Kaido, on the other hand, had been surprisingly weak, probably because he was still too young. Kaya couldn't tell much from that.
It felt as though the power of the Quincy had also integrated perfectly into this world, standing on equal footing with powers like Haki, with neither being superior to the other.
He could feel his power growing all the time, and he also understood why his body had regressed into that of a child after he transmigrated.
That was how Yhwach was. If he didn't continue to take other people's lives and souls,
his body would regress, returning to the weakened state it had been in at birth, becoming a baby who could neither see nor hear.
Kaya felt fine for now. After he had collected power for the first time, his body had indeed grown, even if the total amount hadn't been much.
He needed to take the initiative and do more to gradually master all the power that belonged to Yhwach.
"Yo, isn't this Brother Kaya?"
Hearing the voice, Kaya gathered his thoughts and looked up to see a man by the corner ahead.
The fellow had long, wet hair, pointed ears, a strange face and a thick neck. A long tongue hung from his wide-open mouth.
"Pirate Patriarch, Ochoku," Kaya said, naming the man.
"What do you mean, Patriarch? That's a ridiculous title!" Ochoku waved a hand dramatically. "More importantly... Kaya, how about working with me?"
"Working with a spy sent by the government? Aren't you afraid the others will settle the score with you?" Kaya asked in an inscrutable tone.
"Hehehe~" Ochoku looked embarrassed.
Earlier, at Shakky's tavern, after Shakky had suddenly collapsed, Kaya had spoken disrespectfully about her, provoking everyone's displeasure.
Ochoku had joined in, saying, in essence, that Kaya couldn't be trusted and might be an undercover agent sent by the World Government.
Now Kaya was naturally mocking him by bringing it up.
"No one would take that sort of thing seriously, would they? All right, all right, I apologize, Kaya. We're all brothers here!" Ochoku said, spreading his hands.
"What do you want?" Kaya didn't want to waste words with him, and was considering when to kill him.
"Let's form an alliance. Pirate Island is only so big, and everyone has their own territory, forces and businesses. There isn't enough to go around with this many people," Ochoku said passionately, spreading his arms.
"If someone gets an extra share, someone else gets less. Charlotte Linlin, Shiki, Maron... those guys all have their own people."
"Everyone's secretly building up their forces. Nobody wants to keep following Rocks forever, right?"
"Rocks intends to wipe out the Navy and eventually attack the Holy Land! That's insane. All we need is to have wine to drink and money to count."
"Nominally, we're all members of the Rocks Pirates. With Rocks above us, this place can remain stable for now."
"But in reality, everyone's on their own. Even if Rocks died right now, it wouldn't affect anyone."
"There's nothing strange about thinking that way. We're pirates, after all. Everyone just wants a little more to eat every day, right?"
Ochoku spoke passionately and directly. Clearly, he had always thought this way.
Kaya remained calm on the surface, however. He wasn't surprised by what Ochoku said, because he already knew about him.
"What do you want to do?" Kaya asked.
"I told you, form an alliance. Rocks thinks highly of you, doesn't he? If you wanted, you could claim some territory and become one of the rulers of this island too," Ochoku said persuasively.
"I see. You've come to use me for your own benefit?" Kaya looked as if he had just understood.
"It's not using you, it's cooperation!" Ochoku held out one hand, all five fingers raised. "I'll help you establish your footing and your position, and we split the proceeds fifty-fifty. How about it? What kind of pirate doesn't want to make money?"
"What exactly would we do?" Kaya seemed to have been persuaded and asked for the details.
Ochoku smiled, a cruel expression appearing naturally on his face. "Kill people, of course! If you're poor, what faster way is there to make money than robbing the rich?"
"I accidentally injured Kaido earlier. Is he close to Charlotte Linlin?" Kaya asked suddenly.
The smile on Ochoku's face grew wider. "Those two? How should I put it... they trust each other enough to sleep in the same bed. Would you call that close or not?"
"Naturally, being that intimate counts as close." Kaya nodded.
"Right? Even among us, there are people who are closer to each other. The rest? They're crewmates in name only." Ochoku shrugged. "So finding someone to ally with is a common move."
"That makes sense." Kaya nodded.
"Don't just tell me it makes sense. What do you think of my proposal? If you agree, come to my place and we'll discuss it now!" Ochoku was growing impatient.
Kaya fell silent for a moment. Then the corners of his mouth suddenly curved upward. He looked at Ochoku, parted his lips and slowly spoke a few words.
"I refuse."
What?!!
Ochoku froze. As he looked at Kaya's expression, his face visibly darkened.
"What do you mean? I've been sincere, haven't I? Don't forget, you haven't been here long!"
As soon as he finished, he suddenly realized that Kaya most likely hadn't been interested from the start, rather than deciding to refuse after hearing him out.
Then why hadn't Kaya refused right away? Why had he waited until Ochoku finished speaking to make it clear he would refuse?
Surely he hadn't just been bored and looking for a laugh at Ochoku's expense!
"Well," Kaya said leisurely, "I wanted to wait until you'd finished, then refuse when you thought I was going to agree. Your expression would be interesting that way."
"Fuck you!" Ochoku cursed.
"Your words are pretty compelling, but you're too ugly. Move." Kaya had no more nonsense to say to him and continued toward the center of the island.
As the two passed each other, Ochoku clenched his fists. In the end, only after Kaya had walked far away did he slowly unclench them.
Looking at Kaya's retreating back, Ochoku viciously added, "Kaya! You'll regret this!"
Ochoku, you're going to die.