Wang Zhi stared blankly at Liang Bing.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Kaido said this crazy woman could grant him power?
Was Kaido insane?
Or was the world itself insane?
No—
maybe he was the one who'd gone mad.
No… no, this had to be fake.
All of it had to be fake.
Dragons.
Demons.
Angels.
A talking green turtle.
How could such creatures possibly exist in this world?
Wang Zhi clawed at his hair, his eyes bloodshot.
The worldview he had built over decades collapsed in an instant.
In a haze—
He saw his former captain.
Rocks D. Xebec.
That towering figure stood upon the sea,
painting a future of storms and conquest,
speaking of grand ideals and boundless ambition.
"Captain Rocks…"
"I can't tell anymore… I really can't tell…"
Wang Zhi reached out, trying to grab the edge of that familiar cloak.
But the illusion scattered like smoke.
The figure vanished.
He collapsed onto the floor, sitting there in a daze,
his eyes completely hollow.
Seeing this, Ron spoke quietly.
"He doesn't look right."
Kaido took a drink and explained calmly.
"Back at God Valley—
I, Linlin, Whitebeard, and Shiki betrayed Rocks."
"Wang Zhi was the most loyal one."
"We didn't tell him anything."
"Before the plan even started, we knocked him out."
"When he woke up, Rocks was dead.
The Rocks Pirates were gone."
"After that…
he wasn't quite sane anymore."
Kaido's expression darkened as he spoke.
Back then—
Every commander had their own ambition.
None of them wanted to live forever under someone else's shadow.
So they chose betrayal.
In the end—
The crew shattered.
Everyone went their separate ways.
Big Mom.
Kaido.
Shiki.
Whitebeard.
They all rose in the New World, becoming legends.
The Four Emperors were born.
As the saying goes:
When one great whale falls, all things rise.
Ron asked softly,
"Do you regret it?"
Kaido shook his head.
"No."
"Once I make a choice, I don't regret it."
"And Rocks' ideology was too different from mine."
"He wanted a world ruled by absolute domination."
"But I wanted to create a world."
"To tear it apart and rebuild it."
"To bring equality and fairness to everyone."
He downed another drink and laughed bitterly.
"Boss Ron…"
"Doesn't it sound ridiculous for a pirate to say that?"
Ron replied calmly.
"Everyone has a utopia in their heart."
"What you experienced—
it's closely tied to your childhood."
Kaido nodded.
"That's why I chose to work with Doflamingo."
"When the World Government falls—
maybe my utopia will finally arrive."
Kaido grew up in the Vodka Kingdom.
It wasn't rich.
It wasn't poor.
But it was crushed alive by the Heavenly Tribute.
Fail to pay, and you were oppressed.
Humiliated.
Stripped of dignity.
That was where Kaido's belief was born.
Meanwhile—
As Ron and Kaido spoke,
Wang Zhi sat on the floor, replaying his entire life with Rocks.
Fighting.
Killing.
Taking territory.
Partying.
Sleeping.
Over and over.
Yet it was fulfilling.
He had found someone worth following for life.
And then—
God Valley shattered everything.
At that moment, a figure stood before him.
A lazy voice followed.
"Having your loyalty trampled by Kaido and the others…"
"That doesn't feel good, does it?"
"I can help you."
Wang Zhi looked up at Liang Bing.
"How?"
She tapped her chin thoughtfully, then smiled.
"Simple."
"I'll extract Rocks' DNA."
"And create another Rocks."
Wang Zhi's voice turned heavy.
"What's the price?"
Liang Bing shrugged.
"Acknowledge me as your queen."
"And spread my ideology across the seas."
Wang Zhi hesitated.
In the past—
Shiki.
Big Mom.
Silver Axe.
They had all tried to recruit him.
He refused every time.
All he wanted was to guard the former headquarters of the Rocks Pirates.
But—
This woman's offer was too tempting.
She could bring back Captain Rocks.
Just as he hesitated, Liang Bing turned away.
"You have three minutes."
"My patience is limited."
"Miss it, and the chance is gone."
Wang Zhi didn't hesitate any longer.
He dropped to one knee.
"Your Majesty!"
As his words fell—
A ray of light sank into his body.
In an instant—
He felt his body change.
Power surged like a flood.
His strength leapt qualitatively.
"Alright."
"Kaido will tell you what to do next,"
Liang Bing said, returning to her seat.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Wang Zhi nodded fiercely and strode to the bar.
The thought of seeing Rocks again filled him with energy.
When ideological questions arose,
he even humbled himself to ask Kaido for advice.
Seeing this, Kesha sighed.
"Is it really okay to deceive him like this?"
"You will create a Rocks—
but it'll only be a shell."
"A body with similar thoughts and personality."
Liang Bing rested her chin on her hand.
"I just gave him a reason to live."
"Isn't that better than rotting inside a dream of the past?"
Kesha looked at her for a long time, then said nothing.
Perhaps tired of arguing.
Perhaps remembering something long gone.
Just then—
The tavern bell rang.
Ding—
The door opened slowly.
A blond boy with bright blue eyes stepped inside.
He wore an orange tracksuit,
a Leaf Village headband,
and had six whisker-like marks on his cheeks.
In this unfamiliar place, he asked cautiously:
"Um… hello?"
"Is this the tavern that sent me an invitation?"
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