Kaido was stunned by the news that Rocks’s child would soon be born.
“You know the woman?
Who is she?” “I don’t know,” Shakky replied, shaking her head.
“He casually mentioned it while drinking here about half a year ago.” She then turned most of her attention toward Dæmon.
“How does my drink compare to your wine?” Dæmon slowly savored the Margarita Shakky had prepared.
It was a classic cocktail he had enjoyed before transmigrating.
“It’s good.” Kaido clearly found his response unacceptable.
“It can’t compare to even a single drop of the Elixir of Immortality.” Where is your emotional intelligence, you idiot?
Dæmon glanced at him.
Then again, would a brute like Kaido even possess such a thing?
Shakky chuckled softly.
“Really?
Is your wine truly that delicious?
Now I’m even more eager to taste it.” “Prepare a Devil Fruit,” Dæmon said with a smile.
“You’re welcome to visit my tavern whenever you have one.” “But Devil Fruits aren’t easy to obtain.” Shakky released a helpless sigh.
“It was different when I was captain of the Kuja Pirates.
Now I have a tavern to manage.” Dæmon offered her a suggestion.
“Nearly every pirate on Hachinosu is one of your admirers.
Why not ask them to find one for you?” Shakky’s eyes immediately lit up.
“That’s an excellent idea!
Thank you, Dæmon.” Gloriosa shrugged.
“Don’t get too excited.
Your charm doesn’t seem to work on him.
Isn’t that right, Dæmon?” Dæmon did not respond.
He was not gay, nor did he dislike women.
However, appreciating beautiful women and becoming a mindless simp were entirely different things.
…
Dæmon spent the entire day at Shakky’s tavern.
To be honest, he did not find it boring.
Spending several hours chatting with a few beautiful women was quite enjoyable.
Through their gossip, Dæmon also learned a great deal about the Rocks Pirates.
For example, Whitebeard and Shiki had been among the earliest members to join the crew.
Whitebeard had personally recruited Kaido as an apprentice, which explained why the two shared a fairly close relationship despite constantly fighting.
Then there was Charlotte Linlin, whom Gloriosa often mocked for producing children one after another.
Linlin already had several children.
Charlotte Katakuri, who would eventually become one of the Charlotte Family’s greatest pillars, was already eight years old—the same age as Abel.
…
That night, Dæmon returned to the Immortal Tavern.
Once they were inside, he turned toward Abel.
“You’re safe now.
You may go wherever you wish.” “Lord Dæmon, I want to follow you!” Abel clenched his fists.
“I want to become as strong as you!” Dæmon raised an eyebrow.
Truthfully, his current overall strength still ranked near the bottom of the Rocks Pirates.
In a contest of raw physical strength, he might be slightly stronger than Kaido.
However, his mastery of Haki remained far inferior.
Devouring Sea Kings could improve his body, but it could not strengthen his Haki.
Fortunately, Dæmon still possessed Demon Points and his ability to devour immortals.
As long as he absorbed pirates skilled in Haki, reaching Kaido’s level should not be impossible.
“Then you’ll need to train diligently,” Dæmon told him.
At that moment, a tall figure appeared outside the tavern.
The man had a broad chin marked by an X-shaped scar.
A black tattoo covered the upper-left portion of his torso.
“Ganzui.” Dæmon recognized him as one of the core members he had met at the Skull Hotel.
Noticing the blood covering Ganzui’s right hand, Dæmon looked at him curiously.
“What brings you here so late?” “It’s only a little past eight,” Ganzui replied expressionlessly.
“That’s hardly late.” He extended his blood-covered hand and presented a treasure chest.
“As agreed—one Devil Fruit for one glass of the Elixir of Immortality.” Dæmon immediately smiled.
He accepted the chest and opened it.
Sure enough, a Devil Fruit rested inside.
“What kind of fruit is this?” “I don’t know.” Ganzui was clearly a man of few words.
Dæmon did not mind.
Its ability was irrelevant as long as it was a genuine Devil Fruit.
“Wait here.
I’ll get your wine.” He handed the treasure chest to Abel for safekeeping.
Then Dæmon stepped behind the counter and used it to conceal his hands.
Black lightning gathered between his palms as he spent one hundred Demon Points to create another bottle of the Elixir of Immortality.
[Demon Points: 400 → 300] “Here.” Dæmon filled a glass and handed it to Ganzui.
Without saying anything, Ganzui raised the glass and emptied it in a single gulp.
His expression briefly faltered.
He had clearly not expected the Elixir of Immortality to taste so exquisite.
“Excellent wine,” Ganzui said calmly.
“Thank you.
Goodbye.” With that, he turned and left.
He had arrived quickly, completed his business, and departed just as swiftly.
Abel returned the treasure chest to Dæmon.
“Lord Dæmon, was that man also a member of the Rocks Pirates?” “Yes.
He’s one of the core members.” Dæmon waved toward the staircase.
“There are several empty rooms on the second floor.
Choose whichever one you like, but you’ll have to clean it yourself.” “Yes, Lord Dæmon!” Abel immediately hurried upstairs.
Dæmon sat behind the counter and removed the Devil Fruit from the treasure chest.
Without hesitation, he activated his devouring ability.
Black smoke formed around his hands and swallowed the fruit.
A system notification appeared before his eyes.
[Devil Fruit consumed.] [Obtained: 800 Demon Points.] [Demon Points: 300 → 1,100] “Eight hundred?” Dæmon was genuinely surprised.
That was eight times the value of an ordinary Zoan Devil Fruit.
What kind of ability did that fruit possess?
Then he noticed his current balance and remembered the requirement for unlocking his next skill.
“It costs one thousand Demon Points to unlock Demon Skill 2.” Dæmon made his decision without hesitation.
If he intended to unlock it eventually, there was no reason to wait.
[Demon Points: 1,100 → 100] [Demon Skill 2 Unlocked!] [Demon Skill 1: Creation of the Elixir of Immortality] [Demon Skill 2: Demon Form] [Demon Skill 3: Locked] [Demon Skill 4: Locked] […] Previously, the system had displayed only three Demon Skills.
Now that the second had been unlocked, a fourth slot had appeared.
Dæmon closed his eyes.
A vast and incredibly complex body of demonic knowledge surged into his mind.
After several moments, he gained a basic understanding of his new ability.
[Demon Form: Reveals the user’s true demonic form.] The description was extremely simple.
However, Dæmon sensed that Demon Form was an ability that could gradually grow and evolve.
“Abel, I’m going out for a while.” He called toward the second floor before leaving the tavern.
Before long, Dæmon arrived at Hachinosu’s northern coast.
Few people visited this sparsely populated region.
It was completely different from the lively southern half of the island.
Dæmon stood alone beneath the moonlight and clenched his fists.
Black lightning crackled around his body with a sharp hiss.
Boom!
A pair of enormous pitch-black wings suddenly emerged from his back.
Dæmon cautiously tried moving them.
With a powerful flap, his body rose from the ground.
“I can fly!” Delight filled Dæmon as he flew away from the shore and hovered above the moonlit ocean.
He lowered his gaze toward the water.
His reflection appeared on its surface.
Compared to his ordinary human appearance, Dæmon’s Demon Form did more than grant him a pair of wings.
His entire presence had undergone a tremendous transformation.
He now appeared noble, mysterious, and otherworldly.
In Demon Form, I can also create pentagram magic circles like Imu.
Dæmon’s eyes narrowed.
Does that mean Imu truly is a demon?
He extended his right index finger and swiftly traced several lines through the air.
Black energy followed his fingertip.
Within moments, a glowing pentagram appeared in the empty space before him.
Dæmon stared at the completed magic circle.
“Is this…
a teleportation circle?”