After this happened several times, Saint Saturn stopped moving, his body severely burned by the combined flames of Charlotte Linlin and Kaido.
The charred flesh hissed as it burned, shrinking smaller and smaller until nothing remained but ashes.
Zaki looked at the pile of ash, stepped on it twice, and felt a wave of satisfaction.
Damn it! I told you not to act high and mighty! I told you not to play god!
Once they confirmed Saint Saturn was completely dead, the atmosphere relaxed.
After all, he'd been reduced to ash! If he were still alive, that would be terrifying!
Charlotte Linlin looked at Zaki with curiosity. "Do you also get food cravings?"
"Ah!?" Kaido, standing nearby, was stunned. The same sickness as this crazy woman?!
Zaki nodded with mock seriousness. "Yeah! Maybe I caught it from you!"
"Mamamama!" Charlotte Linlin laughed joyfully, patting Kaido on the shoulder. "Be like this guy! Be my little brother!"
Zaki stared at Linlin suspiciously. Why does she act like Whitebeard?
"What are you talking about? What brother? Join my crew instead! I'll make you the Vice-Captain of the Golden Lion Pirates!" Shiki bit down on his cigar, clearly impressed by the wild, fearless boy.
Though Zaki was young, Shiki was certain this child would become a monstrous force on the seas.
"No!" Zaki refused without hesitation. A ruthless warlord like Shiki wasn't someone he wanted to follow.
Truth be told, Zaki had always preferred the idea of joining the Navy. As corrupt as parts of it were, at least its stated mission was justice, unlike the chaotic world of pirates.
But now, after killing Celestial Dragons and teaming up with pirates to assassinate a Five Elder, there was no way the Navy would take him in. His bounty would likely appear within days.
If he ever formed his own crew, it would be a group like the early Straw Hats—pirates in name, but more like adventurers or knights.
For now, he would stay low. After all, he was only ten years old. Ten years of training and growth, combined with his Entry System, would make him unstoppable.
After rejecting all the pirate crews' invitations, no one pressed further. Every pirate had their own dreams and ambitions.
If fate allowed, they'd meet again.
"Brother Zaki, what now?" Kuma asked, fully convinced of Zaki's strength and leadership.
"Let's walk around and see what we find," Zaki said casually. With Kuma's Paw-Paw Fruit, they had both offense and defense covered.
He recalled that the prizes from the earlier competitions were stored together—six or seven boxes, if he remembered correctly.
But when they went to search, they only found two.
"See if you can find another Devil Fruit," Zaki said. "And help any slaves we see along the way."
Kuma grinned happily at the thought of using his powers to help others.
A day later, Zaki once again marveled at the usefulness of his Entry System.
If he wanted to find someone, he found them.
If he wanted to find a Devil Fruit, he found one.
When they found the two boxes, a group of pirates had already split into two factions over them.
One group was led by a tall man with a large sword.
The other by a woman with a pistol.
"Kelly! There are two boxes here. Let's just take one each!" the man suggested with a grin.
Kelly puffed her cigarette and smiled. "Of course. One each. Fair enough."
But then… neither of them moved to pick up the boxes.
"Kelly, why don't you take it? Maybe there's treasure inside."
"Nelson, I offered first! Don't tell me you're scared?" Kelly teased with a smirk.
Their false friendliness quickly gave way to a brawl.
By the middle of the fight, both sides had taken heavy losses, but neither dared continue recklessly. A third party could swoop in at any moment.
Both leaders edged toward the boxes, silently agreeing to just take one each.
But just as they reached out—
Two shockwaves struck!
One was a paw-shaped burst, the other a sharp slash of sword energy.
Everyone turned to see two new arrivals: two tall but clearly young figures, no more than twelve or thirteen years old—Zaki and Kuma.
Among the other group stood a stocky fishman wielding a naginata, and a short Sky Islander with black, devil-like wings.
Zaki and the fishman locked eyes. Without words, they understood each other's intent.
"Clear the area, Kuma!" Zaki shouted with a grin.
Zaki darted into the fray, each punch and kick breaking bones and leaving men writhing in pain.
Kuma slammed his palms together, launching compressed air in paw-shaped shockwaves. Anyone they touched was blasted back violently, crashing into walls or the ground.
Nelson, the last leader standing, roared in anger. "Bastard! I'll kill you!" He swung his sword at Zaki—
Clang!
The blade shattered on Zaki's arm.
Nelson's eyes widened in horror, but before he could react, Zaki's fist sank into his chest.
It felt like being hit by a battleship. His organs twisted painfully, and he coughed up bitter stomach acid before collapsing, dead silent.
The fishman and winged boy finally ended their skirmish, stunned to see two children clearing the battlefield with ease.
The fishman stepped forward. "How about we split the loot? One box each?"
"Fine," Zaki replied. "I'll pick first."
Box 1: A treasure chest containing a Devil Fruit.
Box 2: A treasure chest containing… a baby.
Zaki stared. What the hell? A baby?!
He grabbed the Devil Fruit chest and walked away without a second thought.
The fishman and winged boy exchanged glances, impressed by his boldness, and took the baby chest.
Sunbell:
Merman Strength (Purple): Grants freedom of movement underwater at extreme speeds. Upon adulthood, natural strength is ten times that of a normal human.
Hero (Light Gold): Years at sea have forged your generous character and willpower, enhancing your Armament Haki greatly.
Dollinger:
Mutated Bloodline (Dark Purple): As a Sky Islander with unique devil-like wings, your life is destined for greatness.
Zaki didn't recognize these two names, but his Entry Slots were already full. He could have copied Linlin's gold-tier entry earlier but chose not to be greedy.
Once the God Valley incident was over, he'd test the limits of the system.
For now, none of that mattered.
Inside the box, Zaki found a dark-purple Devil Fruit with swirling patterns and a green stem.
One of the most infamous Devil Fruits in history.
The Logia-class Yami Yami no Mi (Dark-Dark Fruit).
*Be sure to send powerstones and add this book to your Library.*