"Tobiroppo? When did that happen? Why wasn't I informed?"
"And so what if you're part of the Tobiroppo? Do you even know what you're doing?"
"Get out of here! You're not welcome!"
Yamato pulled the fiery Ulti behind her, raising her gaze to Sasaki. Her tone, unusually calm, carried an edge. Several pirates, recognizing her, shouted in surprise:
"Lady Yamato!"
"Yamato? Lady?"
Sasaki gave her a once-over, his expression still as smug and unruly as ever.
"So, you're Kaido-sama's daughter."
"About the Tobiroppo—Kaido-sama will announce it himself at the Fire Festival in a few days. But let me make this clear, I was personally recognized by Kaido-sama as a strong contender!"
"The Beast Pirates operate on strength alone. Even if you're Kaido-sama's daughter, you have no authority to order me around!"
Their argument quickly drew the attention of the townspeople. In no time, the area cleared out. The plump noodle stand owner, after a brief glance, decided to lie flat on the ground and play dead.
"Order you? I'm not giving you orders—I'm informing you!" Yamato frowned, her patience visibly wearing thin as she addressed Sasaki.
"This is my turf! I don't welcome people like you. Got it?"
"Hahaha!" Sasaki burst into laughter. "Your turf? As far as I know, this is actually Jack the Drought's territory!"
Sasaki bared his sharp teeth, chuckling softly before his face turned serious.
"Kaido-sama told me not to provoke the All-Stars, saying that I'm not yet a match for their strength. But I find that hard to believe. I won't argue about King or Queen, but Jack? Isn't he just a teenager?"
"The reason I'm here is simple—I want to see for myself if Jack the Drought, with his billion-belly bounty, is really the monstrous, nation-destroying cannibal the stories claim him to be!"
"Oi, Two-Ha! Bring me my weapon!" Yamato shouted impatiently.
A massive silver wolf appeared from behind Sasaki, a giant hunk of meat clenched between its teeth. Seeing the street blocked by onlookers, the wolf backed up several paces before sprinting forward and leaping into the air.
As Yamato stepped aside without explanation, the distant crowd began to glance upwards. Sasaki, too, tilted his head to look up.
Bam!
"Grrr…"
"Cough, cough!"
"Awoo… bark! Bark!"
Two-Ha let out a deep howl before choking on the meat, which had lodged in its throat. After a struggle, the wolf swallowed and trotted obediently toward Yamato.
"You dumb… fat… DOG!" Sasaki grumbled as he got up, staring at Two-Ha's enormous size in disbelief. But when he saw Yamato retrieve her kanabo from Two-Ha's back, Sasaki's expression grew serious.
"Even if you're Kaido-sama's daughter, if you attack me, I'll have no choice but to take you down!" he warned.
Yamato suddenly tossed her kanabo back onto Two-Ha, then stepped aside. Sasaki noticed a looming shadow on the ground beneath him. The fearful expressions of the onlookers made his skin crawl.
"J-Jack-sama!"
"It's a misunderstanding!" Sasaki's subordinates stammered in terror.
Turning around, Sasaki was greeted by a pair of massive legs and a faint watermark on the trousers. A pungent stench confirmed it—urine.
Stepping back, Sasaki finally got a full view of Jack's expressionless face. His height rivaled Kaido's, but his arms were even thicker. Jack's eyes, with whites dominating most of their surface, sent chills down Sasaki's spine.
Jack's mere presence was suffocating. After a moment, he shifted his gaze off Sasaki and barked at one of the pirates nearby:
"Who brought this idiot here? Don't you guys have any sense of basic manners?"
"I can't even take a piss in peace!"
Then he turned his cold gaze to another pirate—the tallest among them—and said, "I remember you. What's your name again?"
"Jack-sama! I'm Rune!"
"Doesn't matter. What matters is—who let this fool in?"
Sasaki, insulted and ignored, clenched his fists and shouted, "Don't look down on me, you bastard!"
"If Kaido-sama hadn't banned us from challenging you All-Stars, your spot wouldn't be so secure!"
"Shut up, Sasaki-sama!" Rune interjected nervously. "Kaido-sama only allowed me to bring you here for sightseeing, not to provoke Jack-sama! If Kaido-sama finds out, he'll be furious!"
Hearing this, Sasaki hesitated. He'd only just joined the Beast Pirates and knew it was unwise to push things too far. With one last glare at Jack, he turned to leave.
"Oi, pay up!" Jack's deep voice stopped him in his tracks. "And don't forget to cover the medical bills for that kick you threw earlier!"
Sasaki froze, trembling with rage. He turned back, glaring at Jack.
"Are you insulting me? You want me to pay? For some commoner's medical expenses?"
"I'm a Beast Pirates officer! Have you lost your mind?"
"I haven't." Jack's tone was flat but carried a dangerous edge. "I don't care what rank you are. If you eat here, you pay."
"If everyone in the Beast Pirates acted like you, how would we survive?"
"Now quit whining and hand over the cash—or I'll smash your head in, break your legs, and crack your ribs."
As he spoke, Jack pulled out his own massive kanabo, clearly losing patience.
Sasaki locked eyes with Jack, weighing his options. After a tense moment, he pulled a coin pouch from his waist and tossed it onto a nearby table.
"Hahaha! Fine!" Sasaki sneered. "Jack the Drought, huh? I'll be sure to ask Kaido-sama to let me challenge you."
"Don't get cocky just because you repelled the Red-Haired Pirates! If I'd been there, that so-called Red-Haired Shanks would be dead by now!"
With that, Sasaki stormed off, Rune trailing behind him with an awkward smile.
"This kid's got some nerve," Jack muttered.
"Jack, why didn't you take him out?" Ulti asked indignantly.
Jack crouched down to her level, his tone exasperated.
"You're a girl. Try to talk more politely, okay? Stop saying things like 'take him out.'"
"But stupid Yamato talks like that all the time!"
Yamato growled.
"Idiot!"
"You little brat! Get back here!" Yamato chased after Ulti, Two-Ha waddling along behind them.
Watching the oddly round trio run off, Jack stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Guess I'll have to up their training. At this rate, they'll end up with high blood pressure or something."
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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg