Loki Takes On the Rocks Pirates Alone 8

"I can't let this attack land on Hachinosu! Abyss Curse!!!"

Just as the torrent of Spiritual Power was about to hit the ground, a dark figure appeared out of nowhere, immediately followed by a downward slash.

Sizzle! Crackle!!

Black and red currents shattered the air! With unstoppable force, they held back the energy blast.

No! They annihilated it outright!

"Waaah!!"

The beam of Spiritual Power Loki had unleashed was split down the middle, and the slash struck him directly.

A torrent of blood fell like rain. Loki threw back his head and screamed, a jet of blood shooting from his mouth as he lost his balance and his enormous body plummeted from the sky.

"A guy that heavy falling like that might sink the island!"

The ground suddenly shook, and the whole expanse of earth rose up.

The soil formed something like a net and caught Loki as he fell.

In an instant, it climbed higher and separated from the island, holding the giant aloft like a floating continent and preventing the impact of his enormous mass from striking the island.

Having done that, Shiki lowered his hand.

He turned to look nearby, where Rocks was sheathing his longsword.

"You two took care of your parts, didn't you!" Newgate's disgruntled voice rang out.

The Spiritual Power Rocks had sliced apart had not completely disappeared; it could be seen scattering in every direction.

Afterward, however, Newgate used the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit to smash all the gathered Spiritual Power to pieces, leaving not a trace.

With that, the battle came to an end.

Shiki moved his fingers and lowered the floating continent from the sky. Once it landed, they all saw Loki lying on it.

Loki had returned to his original size and had no wounds, but his eyes were shut, and he was unconscious.

"Hey, hey, is that for real? Even the wound from my slash healed? It's only been a few seconds," Rocks muttered to himself.

He had deliberately held nothing back with his attack, wounding Loki while breaking through his final strike.

He hadn't expected even a move with Conqueror's Coating to have no effect.

By now, this stretch of land had been completely transformed. It would have been no exaggeration to say it had been ravaged by earthquakes and tsunamis one after another.

Fortunately, the battle hadn't taken place in the central part of Hachinosu. Otherwise, the pirates on the island would have had to work together on reconstruction.

With Shiki around, it might have been a little easier.

"Damn it, now even the port has to be rebuilt. This is all your fault, Kaya!" Rocks complained.

"Is there a construction crew here?" Kaya asked with a faint smile.

"What now? What do we do with this guy?" Shiki put a cigar in his mouth.

"Didn't he want to join us?" Kyo walked over just then. "He's strong enough. He just needs someone to teach him to behave himself from now on."

"Everyone, leave this brat to me! Mamamamam~"

That voice, and that devilish laugh.

The group looked behind them and saw Charlotte Linlin bounding from side to side across the ruins on her long legs, rapidly approaching.

Kaido was following beside her. The bandages wrapped around him drew a second glance from the others.

When they reached the group, Kaido looked around at the surrounding area, which had been damaged beyond recognition, and remarked, "This looks like someone took on the Rocks Pirates alone!"

"You're late," Newgate said, his hands in his pockets.

"I said, give me that brat Loki!" Charlotte Linlin repeated, her eyes seemingly glowing as she spoke.

The ones who knew her well understood that her collecting habit had flared up. She probably wanted to collect something from Loki.

"Linlin, you'll have to ask someone else first." Shiki pointed at Kaya, who was standing nearby.

Kaya stood beside Loki with his hands behind his back.

At the sight of Kaya, Charlotte Linlin's face immediately darkened, and she was about to flare up.

She didn't notice the slight change in Kaido's expression beside her.

Although Kaido hadn't come close, he had witnessed everything from a distance, including Loki's performance throughout the fight, from beginning to end.

"Sorry, Linlin, I can't hand Loki over to you. Whatever you want to do, wait until he's a little older," Kaya said calmly.

"You!" Charlotte Linlin narrowed her eyes, a dangerous glint flashing between her eyelids.

"Linlin, that's how it is. He has the final say on this," Rocks said with a smile.

What?! Charlotte Linlin was startled.

What surprised her most wasn't Rocks's attitude. That meant nothing more than that Rocks admired or liked Kaya.

But what about the others? Shiki? Newgate?

Those guys are acting so normal... if anything, a little too normal!

They seemed to think it was only natural for Rocks to say that, as though there was nothing worth discussing.

But was that possible? How long had Kaya even been here?

Of everyone present, only Charlotte Linlin couldn't understand why everyone's opinion of Kaya had changed.

The reason was actually simple.

The power Loki had used had been given to him by Kaya.

If they ruled out the possibility that this was a lie Kaya and Rocks had cooked up together, then that was almost certainly the truth.

The abilities displayed by someone who could make a giant child so powerful were simply beyond comprehension!

That was Loki. What about Kaya?

This man who had suddenly appeared on Hachinosu was surrounded by mysteries. Just how strong was he?

Besides them, Kaido knew even more. Some time ago, an opportunity had even been placed before him—an opportunity to become comparable to Loki.

"See you another day."

Kaya lifted Loki's body with one hand, gave a brief nod in farewell, then turned and left.

The others silently watched Kaya's retreating figure, each with their own thoughts, but none showed them openly. The atmosphere merely seemed a little strange.

The battle that had caused such a stir ended in a way that was both sudden and unsurprising.

Although Rocks, Newgate, and the others had indeed made a move, the only members of the Rocks Pirates who had actually participated in the fight were John and Ganzui.

It would have been an exaggeration to say Loki had taken on the Rocks Pirates alone, but when the story got out...

Yes! It quickly spread throughout Hachinosu!

What did pirates like best? Getting drunk and bragging everywhere, of course!

Those who had witnessed the scene and escaped with their lives naturally boasted all about it when they got back.

Since Harald had fought Rocks to a draw, it was hardly shocking that Loki, the prince of Elbaf who had inherited Harald's power, was terrifyingly strong.

In their telling, Loki had fought until none of the pirates present dared face him. Finally, the Rocks Pirates couldn't stand by and watch any longer, so they stepped forward to oppose him.

But unexpectedly, even the members of the Rocks Pirates were no match for Loki.

To stop the giant brat, Rocks, Newgate, Shiki, and other powerful fighters had ultimately been forced to act one after another, barely managing to stop him.

Wasn't that taking on the Rocks Pirates alone?!

In any case, none of the people involved came forward to set the record straight, so the rumors naturally grew more and more ridiculous.

There was even a rumor that Loki was actually the illegitimate son of Rocks and Harald!

Otherwise, how could his monstrous abilities be explained?

And this wasn't just nonsense. There was evidence.

Loki had inherited the giant king Harald's enormous body on one hand, and Rocks's power and talent on the other.

See? Both Loki and Rocks had names that began with "Lo"!