Having gained some benefit, Kaido no longer dwelled on whether Ron truly intended to kill him.
He hoisted his spiked club and strode toward the ship, though a trace of unwillingness still lingered in his silhouette.
Rocks walked over to Ron, slinging an arm around his shoulder with a hearty laugh.
“I must say, your performance exceeded my expectations, Ron.”
Ron winced slightly from the tight grip and replied modestly, “Just luck, really.”
Rocks tightened his hold, his booming laughter nearly deafening.
“Luck, you say?
If I hadn’t stepped in earlier, Kaido would’ve been in a sorry state, if not dead.”
“Uh…” Ron had no retort, simply enduring the embrace with a pained smile.
“Wahahaha…” Rocks roared with laughter, turning Ron around and steering him toward the ship.
“Come on, we’re throwing a feast for you tonight!”
….
As soon as Kaido stepped onto the deck, still brooding and looking for a quiet corner to settle, Golden Lion’s airy voice drifted into his ears, dripping with mischief.
“Hey, hey, Kaido.
You seem pretty bitter.
Want me to help you find a chance to take him out?”
Kaido glanced sideways at Golden Lion’s smirking face, then turned away without a word, ignoring him entirely.
“Kekekeke.” Golden Lion wasn’t offended by Kaido’s dismissal.
“You bastard, getting cocky just because Linlin’s got your back.”
“Tch.” Kaido scoffed inwardly.
After being here this long, he knew exactly how things worked on the Rocks Pirates.
Golden Lion offering to help him kill Ron?
He’d be lucky if the guy didn’t try to trip him up just for passing by.
Night gradually fell, the sea breeze carrying a salty, briny scent.
The Sword of Gibeck had sailed into the vast open sea, with no islands in sight—only endless darkness and the sound of waves.
The feast Rocks had thrown for Ron had ended.
The tables were littered with empty plates and cups, and a few drunken crew members lay sprawled in corners of the deck.
If Ron had to sum up the feast in one word, “boring” fit perfectly.
It made sense, of course.
He was new here and couldn’t blend into the group.
Most of the time, he sat alone, watching the others brag, argue, and force drinks on each other.
Occasionally, someone would even grab a weapon over a heated remark, only to be pulled apart by others laughing it off.
The revelry was theirs; Ron had none of it.
After the feast ended, the ship’s deck grew much quieter.
Ron sat alone on the ship’s railing, lost in thought as the sea breeze brushed past him.
Not far away, Whitebeard leaned against the railing on the other side, a half-empty jug of liquor in hand, his gaze fixed solemnly on the sea.
Each occupied their own space, with no interaction between them.
Just then, Kaido ambled over.
He stopped beside Whitebeard and leaned against the railing.
“Looks like you’ve moved past the shadow of your defeat, Kaido,” Whitebeard said with a chuckle.
“I just lack a powerful ‘Devil Fruit,'” Kaido replied, his tone toward Whitebeard markedly different from how he spoke to others.
After all, within the Rocks Pirates, Whitebeard was the only person he somewhat trusted—someone who never schemed against him and even looked out for him at times.
“Gurararara.” Whitebeard chuckled softly.
“As I said before, a suitable Devil Fruit takes time to find.”
Kaido shrugged.
“I know that, of course.
It’s just…
it’s too difficult.”
Hearing this, Whitebeard laughed a couple more times before falling silent, his gaze returning to the dark sea.
Kaido stood there for a while, feeling bored, then turned and walked in another direction.
His eyes fell on Ron, who was sitting on the railing.
After hesitating briefly, he strode over.
“Hey, new guy.” Kaido stood beside Ron, his voice low but stubborn.
“Once I find my own Devil Fruit, let’s have another fight.
What do you say?”
Ron had been lost in thought, enjoying the sea breeze.
Hearing the voice, he slowly turned his head, his pupils reflecting Kaido’s face.
“Don’t get me wrong—I can handle losing.” Before Ron could respond, Kaido also sat on the railing, letting his feet dangle over the side of the ship.
“It’s just…
I want to fight you again when I’m at my strongest.”
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Ron’s mouth.
“Don’t you know…
only ‘Haki’ can truly reign supreme?”
Kaido looked surprised and instinctively retorted, “Did you hear that from Rocks?”
Ron smiled without answering.
He hadn’t heard it from Rocks, but from someone called “Teacher Ka.”
“Sigh.” Kaido sighed and suddenly changed the subject.
“Do you know the guy behind us?”
Ron glanced back.
“Edward Newgate?”
“Yeah!” Kaido nodded, a flicker of fervor in his eyes.
“His Devil Fruit is the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
It’s an incredible fruit—I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”
From his words, Ron could sense undisguised admiration.
“Haki is powerful,” Kaido continued.
“But who could resist eating a fruit that grants the power to shake heaven and earth?”
Now Ron understood.
This kid Kaido believed that while Haki was strong, cultivating it took too much time—far less efficient than eating a powerful Devil Fruit.
“Do you think finding a powerful Devil Fruit is easy?” Ron asked with a smile.
Kaido was speechless for a moment before slowly replying, “In the Rocks Pirates, the chances are high.
And…
Rocks promised me himself—if he gets one, he’ll give it to me.”
And so, the two of them chatted back and forth.
The sea breeze, carrying the sound of waves, swept past them.
Unconsciously, Ron began to feel that Kaido was quite genuine.
Similarly, Kaido also felt that Ron was more reliable than most people on the ship.
Most importantly, they were both apprentices.
“Hey, Ron.” Kaido switched from calling him “new guy” to using his name directly.
“Let’s form an alliance.
We can watch each other’s backs.
The Rocks Pirates are full of all kinds of monsters.”
Then, counting on his fingers, Kaido listed a “scumbag ranking” for Ron.
He spoke rapidly, as if he had cursed these names in his heart a thousand times.
Due to his speed, Ron only barely managed to remember that Golden Lion firmly held the top spot—something Kaido emphasized particularly, saying, “That guy is treacherous; be extremely wary of him.”
As for the others.
Whitebeard and Rocks are generally trustworthy.
Linlin is fickle, and whether she can be trusted depends on the situation.
As for the rest, none of them can be trusted, especially those names listed on the scoundrel list.
Finally, Ron nodded in agreement to the alliance.
The condition was that if a powerful Devil Fruit was found, it would go to Kaido, while those that were ordinary would go to Ron.
Early the next morning.
The thin mist over the sea had yet to dissipate, and Ron was still deep in sleep.
In his drowsiness, a sudden clamor of noise erupted from the deck above.
He frowned, not fully awake yet, when hurried footsteps echoed in his ears.
“Bang~!”
The cabin door was kicked open, its lock components twisted beyond recognition, clattering to the floor.
Ron sat up abruptly, rubbing his bleary eyes.
He glanced at the pitiful door, then at Kaido walking toward him, his brow furrowing slightly.
“Even if there’s an enemy attack, it’s not our turn as apprentices to handle it, Kaido,” Ron said, his tone tinged with helplessness.
“Enemy attack?
What enemy attack?” Kaido shook his head, looking utterly confused, as if he hadn’t even noticed what he had just done.
“Never mind that, get up quickly!
The Kuja Pirates are here!”
Ron was momentarily stunned, the first thought flashing through his mind being that of the Pirate Empress, Hancock.
But the next second, he snapped back to reality—this was still the old era.
In this era, the Kuja Pirates were led by Gloriosa and Shakky.