A dense barrage of cannonballs, like a rainstorm, was blocked by a wooden wall. The terrifying explosions and powerful shockwaves made the entire Jackson ship tremble violently.
Seeing Kaito Raien take action, Rayleigh—who was about to step in—halted.
After all, a newcomer needs opportunities for real combat.
Moreover, both Roger and Rayleigh wanted to witness Kaito's true strength.
Garp? Wasn't he the perfect candidate to test it?
"A Devil Fruit user, huh?!"
From afar, Garp muttered to himself as he saw the massive wooden wall sprout from the Jackson and block all the cannonballs. Only someone cursed by the sea could perform such superhuman feats.
"It blocked them! It actually blocked them!"
Buggy stared wide-eyed at the unharmed wooden wall in front of him and began jumping up and down in excitement. Those were cannonballs just now! And yet, not a single dent—was this really just wood?
In that moment, Buggy became fascinated by Devil Fruits!
"dUANG!"
A sharp, metallic clang rang out as Buggy tapped his knife against the wood. Many people around were shocked and curious about Kaito's ability.
"So tough!" Buggy rubbed his arm, which had gone numb from the recoil, and muttered.
[+10 Dimension Points from Jabba]
[+10 from Garp]
[+6 from Bogart]
[+2 from Barrett]
[+1 from a random marine] ×50
A wave of notifications scrolled through Kaito's mind. He had just earned 212 Dimension Points—enough for two more lottery draws.
Hearing the system mention Barrett's name, Kaito turned around to glance at him. At the moment, Barrett was lounging on the deck, looking utterly bored. A world without combat was unbearably dull for him.
"Hmph, boring," Barrett muttered, noticing Kaito's glance. He snorted, sat down heavily on the deck, and closed his eyes to sleep.
To Barrett, Kaito was just a small fry with some potential—not worth his attention. Roger was his true target.
"Hmm... Kaito, your ability is pretty impressive. You actually managed to block Garp's cannon attack!"
Roger walked over, ruffled Kaito's hair, and grinned with genuine delight.
After all, having fought Garp before, he knew just how terrifying the man's strength was. In this vast ocean, Devil Fruits might be the fastest and easiest way to gain power—but they certainly weren't invincible.
Now that Garp's attack had been neutralized and the Jackson was unharmed, Roger—unwilling to waste time in battle—decisively chose to retreat. After all, the true purpose of his visit to the East Blue was to find a doctor: Crocus.
"Wuuuuu~"
The Jackson sailed swiftly toward the Twin Cape Lighthouse. A baby-like cry echoed across the sea, and in the distance, a massive whale leapt out of the deep sea and slammed heavily into the towering mountain at the entrance to the Grand Line—Reverse Mountain.
Again and again.
As an island whale, the creature could reach lengths of up to 400 meters. But no matter how hard it rammed, it could not shake the towering Reverse Mountain.
The violent impacts made the wounds on the whale Laboon's head worse. Blood streamed again from the still-unhealed injury, dyeing the nearby waters red. Yet Laboon did not stop his self-harming assault.
"A... a whale?! It's huge!!"
Buggy stood at the front of the group, eyes wide and mouth agape like someone who had never seen the world before.
"Hey, Laboon! Stop! Your previous wounds haven't even healed yet!"
A loud voice rang out from atop the giant whale. Under the Roger Pirates' gaze, a man with saffron-like hair appeared—it was none other than their target, the skilled doctor Crocus.
"Wuuu~ Wuuu~"
"Alright, alright, I understand. They will come back. Don't keep ramming Reverse Mountain like this. You'll only end up hurting yourself, Laboon!"
Crocus sighed deeply, his tone full of sorrow.
He understood all too well how perilous the Grand Line ahead truly was. For nearly 30 years, there had been no word at all. Most likely, the Rumbar Pirates had met with misfortune.
Maybe... they had all been buried at sea.
Still, he couldn't bring himself to say those words aloud. Deep in his heart, Crocus still hoped the Rumbar Pirates had simply forgotten about Laboon—and that one day, they would return to Twin Cape to visit him again.
While Crocus was treating Laboon, the Jackson slowly approached. Watching such a dedicated and life-loving doctor made Roger grin with joy.
This was the ship doctor he had been searching for!
"Doctor, hello! My name is Roger. I'm a pirate, and I'd like to invite you to join my crew and help me complete my final journey."
Roger stepped forward, appearing beside Crocus, and spoke solemnly and sincerely.
"Pirate?! You're not welcome here. Leave at once," Crocus frowned, his voice cold.
Whether it was from disappointment over the Rumbar Pirates or his reluctance to leave Twin Cape, he clearly had no intention of agreeing.
"Please, Doctor! I'm begging you!"
Despite the rejection, Roger didn't give up. He pleaded even more earnestly. Though he lacked medical knowledge, he could clearly sense his body deteriorating—perhaps in two, maybe two and a half years, his life would come to an end.
"Sigh…"
Crocus frowned deeply. He looked at Roger, who was inviting him so sincerely, then at Laboon in the distance. After a long silence, he finally said:
"I'll sail with you. But I have one condition."
"Name it!"
"While we travel, I want you to look for any news about the Rumbar Pirates," Crocus said seriously, his eyes full of concern as he looked at Laboon.
"Of course!" Roger readily agreed. Nothing could make him happier than gaining a skilled ship doctor.
Boom!!
Just as everyone was preparing to welcome their newest crewmate, a loud cannon blast shattered the joyful atmosphere.
A pirate ship with a skull flag was rapidly approaching from afar, firing round after round of cannonballs toward Laboon!
"Laboon!" Crocus's eyes turned bloodshot as he grabbed a weapon beside him, ready to fight the attacking pirate crew to the death.
Continued...