"Wha—!"
"Wha—whah!"
"Wha—whah—whah!"
In Skull Hall on Oni Island, the bandaged pirates all widened their eyes, stunned, as a chorus of "Wha—!" echoed around them.
"Who are you?" Jack frowned, his voice cutting through the hall.
"H-He… Lord Jack…"
"He's the newcomer Rosha, the one Lord Kaido brought back!"
"The guy who beat us all like this!"
"No mistake! He's even wearing Pegivan's clothes!"
The pirates who had been flattened by Rosha last night all shouted in unison.
"Give back little Pegivan's clothes, you bastard! And last night, we didn't finish! Our match isn't over yet!" Runti yelled, her forehead bandaged and eyes blazing.
"N-No… I don't care about the clothes anymore. Sister, please stop choking me… help… help me!"
Pegivan gasped as Runti's iron grip nearly crushed his neck.
"So, it's you? The one who made Oni Island such a mess on your first day in the crew. That's some nerve!"
Jack's eyes widened as he realized Rosha's identity. Bloodshot veins ran across his eyes, and a menacing aura radiated from him.
"You wanna protect them?" Rosha laughed, thinking to herself how convenient this was—someone just delivered her training partner straight to her.
"Why are you laughing?" Jack's anger intensified.
"Seeing you makes me happy!" Rosha's smile grew even brighter.
Jack, the infamous "Ship-Relying King," was famous in Rosha's circles.
Runti was the Beasts Pirates' literal head-strong champion, while Jack was the undisputed king of head-strong arrogance.
Facing such a lineup—former admirals, top strategists, and current vice admirals—Jack had earned his nickname by declaring, "You think you know who I am? Just push the ship over here," a phrase that cemented his legendary overconfidence.
For someone as stubborn and arrogant as Jack, a couple of defeats wouldn't scare him. She could have endless fun "plucking sheep" here.
Feeling Rosha's gaze, Jack frowned, discomfort prickling at every nerve.
"Kid, I don't care who you were before, or what you did. Once you're in the Beasts Pirates, you follow the rules here," Jack said coldly.
"You ask what I did before? Oh, I was a fortune teller," Rosha said, dead serious.
"Huh?" Jack blinked, baffled.
"I said I'm a fortune teller. What are you?" Rosha smiled, tilting her head.
The hall went silent for a moment, then a young pirate with an unusual hairstyle reacted first. "Lord Jack, he's insulting you, saying you're nothing!"
"I heard him, I don't need you to repeat it!" Jack slammed the pirate to the ground. His cold gaze locked onto Rosha. "Speaking recklessly comes with consequences."
"Go ahead. Try me," Rosha said, taunting with a wave of her hand.
Jack's face darkened. No more words—he launched himself forward.
Thud! Thud!
The ground trembled with each step Jack took, leaving deep impressions behind.
In moments, Jack reached Rosha, his massive shadow stretching over her.
"Yah!"
Jack swung his arms and fists with deafening force, each strike slicing through the air.
Rosha didn't dodge. She let Jack's punch hit her cheek directly.
Bang!
"Ughh…"
"Hahaha, how stupid…"
"Victory… Lord Jack wins…"
The pirates' cheers and jeers abruptly stopped. Faces went pale, disbelief spreading.
"Th-This… this can't be!"
"Jack's full-strength punch… it… it…"
"…didn't even make him move an inch!"
"Impossible… this guy… is he that strong?"
Shocked murmurs spread across the hall.
"That guy's body is not normal."
Pegivan shivered as he recalled last night's events.
Runti instinctively covered her forehead, recalling the blows.
"Completely absorbing Jack's punch without moving an inch? Is his body made of iron? Did he eat the Iron-Iron Fruit?" Maria whispered in astonishment.
"Humph. Even if he's a Devil Fruit user, so what? Let's see if he can take a few more of my punches," Jack snorted, unfazed. He transformed his punch into a palm strike, slamming it onto Rosha's shoulder.
Thud!
The force pressed Rosha's feet into the ground.
"Is that all?"
Two words were enough to ignite Jack's fury.
"ORA ORA ORA!"
Jack unleashed a barrage of normal punches, raining down like a violent storm on Rosha from all directions.
The ground of Oni Island shook, massive cracks spreading outward in a web of destruction.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Each punch hit with bone-crushing force. Dust and debris rose like dragons, obscuring the entire area.
"Ughhh—!"
"This is it! This time, he's done! That insolent brat is finished!"
"Who does he think he is, underestimating Lord Jack like that? Jack is our Beasts Pirates' rising star!"
"This is what arrogance gets you… a relentless storm of punches! That guy's gonna be minced, haha!"
The pirates cheered, some even popping champagne early to celebrate.
But Jack, the one delivering the punches, was not happy at all.
At this moment, his pupils shrank. His mind reeled with shock.
He may be stubborn, but he was not foolish. Every punch he threw held no mercy. Any other person would have been crushed.
Yet… Rosha stood there, unscathed, as if nothing happened.
Since becoming an Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit user, her already formidable strength had increased even more. Every strike was maximum power… yet…
What kind of body did this person have?
Could it be a special ability like Jin's?
Jack recalled his fight with Yamabaki Jin, where nothing could touch him.
No, no, no! This guy didn't have the same flame markings, and the impact felt completely different.
Jack remembered the sensation of hitting Jin—bone-jarring contact. But hitting Rosha was like punching iron.
"This is your full strength? I'm already getting sleepy!" Rosha lazily yawned.
She had expected Jack, one of the three calamities, to shake her a little… but this? Even Yamato, weakened by Seastone, was easier to handle.
Hearing this, Jack's face darkened again.
"Don't get cocky! I'll show you my real power!"
Roar!
The trumpeting of an elephant shook the hall.
Jack leapt into the air, his massive form swelling with power.
He activated the Ancient Zoan Elephant-Elephant Fruit: Mammoth form!