One Piece: Kaido's adopted son, opening the Eight Gates

A new world, a certain sea area.

A peculiarly shaped, crudely constructed boat, made of massive logs bound together, is cutting through the waves.

At the bow of the ship, an unusually burly man wearing a strange wrestling mask was tearing into a huge piece of meat with bone in his mouth. He was none other than the "Fighting Champion" Zishas Bazars.

Beside him, a taller man with missing teeth, a rugged and bold appearance, and three flintlock pistols at his waist, was gulping down liquor from a bottle.

It was Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach!

"Hahaha! I've finally shaken off those guys' wanted posters!"

Blackbeard Teach wiped his greasy mouth and let out his signature awful laugh.

His eyes gleamed with the smug satisfaction of a successful conspiracy.

He endured years of hardship on Whitebeard's ship for the Dark-Dark Fruit, and now he has succeeded in killing Thatch, stealing the fruit, and then defecting.

However, instead of fleeing the Whitebeard Pirates' territory immediately, he went into hiding.

He knew how terrifying Whitebeard was, and he was also aware of the Whitebeard Pirates' ability to pursue and capture him.

The best time to escape will be when the storm has passed and their vigilance has decreased.

Now, they have finally succeeded!

"Hahaha! Captain is brilliant!"

"I can't speak," Bash said in a muffled voice, his mouth smeared with grease.

"Once we find more partners, we'll conquer this ocean!"

Blackbeard Teach's eyes gleamed with ambition.

"Hahaha! Of course! This era is about to welcome a new protagonist!"

"The era belongs to Blackbeard!"

suddenly.

"Huh? Captain, look over there!"

Bashas suddenly pointed to the distant sea and shouted indistinctly.

Blackbeard Teach squinted and looked over.

On the distant horizon, a small black dot was seen drifting rapidly toward them.

As the distance closed, the outline of the black dot gradually became clearer.

It appears to be... a person, riding on a very, very small raft.

"Hahaha, at a time like this, someone actually dares to drift alone in this kind of sea?"

Blackbeard licked his lips, a greedy glint in his eyes.

"We may be a bit poor, but we can't let such a fat sheep slip through our fingers!"

"Vahaha! Understood, Captain!"

Bashas threw the bone away, clenched his fist, and made a cracking sound as his knuckles popped.

However, just as Blackbeard's pirate ship was about to approach the small raft.

The people on the raft seemed to have spotted them and were paddling towards them.

Soon, the two closed the distance to the point where they could see each other clearly.

He was a man dressed in green, with red hair, a long sword at his waist, and a somewhat arrogant expression.

It was Lockheed Martin.

"Hey, are you guys from Whitebeard's territory?"

"Tell me, which way is Whitebeard's territory?"

Faced with Rockstar's initial question, Blackbeard did not rush to make a move.

Instead, he asked, "What are you going to Whitebeard's territory for?"

"I'm a messenger for the Red-Haired Pirates, and I'm going to deliver a very important letter to Whitebeard! If you know the way, hurry up and show me!"

"Loxda said impatiently."

Loxda?!

The Red-Haired Pirates?!

Blackbeard Teach's greedy expression froze instantly, and his pupils contracted slightly.

He and Bashas exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of apprehension in each other's eyes.

Red-haired Shanks!

That's the man who rose to prominence around the same time as him, and who now firmly holds the position of one of the Four Emperors!

Although Blackbeard believes his strength has greatly increased after obtaining the Dark-Dark Fruit, the Red-Haired Pirates' reputation is not just for show.

Especially that man, Shanks...

"Hahaha... So it's the messenger from the Red-Haired Pirates."

Blackbeard's expression changed several times, but he finally managed to force a smile.

Rob the Red-Haired Pirates' messenger?

Unless he's lost his mind!

Now is not the time to clash with forces of that caliber.

He immediately gave Lockstar directions.

"Thank you very much."

The two ships passed each other by so casually.

at this time.

"Captain! There's something in the sky!"

Bashas suddenly raised his head, pointed to the sky, and exclaimed in surprise.

His voice was filled with disbelief.

Blackbeard Teach suddenly looked up.

Loxda instinctively looked in the direction Bashas was pointing.

In the azure sky, a tiny black dot was falling towards them at an alarming speed... No! It wasn't falling!

It's flying!

That black dot is rapidly approaching!

Its outline is becoming clearer and clearer!

That looks like... a human figure?!

A person who can fly?!

Blackbeard Teach's pupils suddenly contracted!

He considered a possibility, and his expression turned somewhat grim.

Is it the Navy's Rokushiki: Moonwalk? Or some kind of special Devil Fruit ability?

Who is it?

Could they be pursuers?!

Bashas clenched his fists nervously, his whole body tense.

The flying figure was moving faster than anyone could have imagined!

In the blink of an eye, it was already within reach!

When the true face of that figure was seen.

Blackbeard Teach's expression instantly changed from wariness to... utter astonishment and absurdity!

That...that was actually a...

A baby wearing open-crotch pants, looking no more than one or two years old, with delicate and beautiful features...?!

A baby flying in the sky?!

What's happening here? !

However, even more shocked than Blackbeard was Rockstar, who had just brushed past them!

When he saw the face of the baby that had fallen from the sky, he was struck dumb, and all the color drained from his face instantly!

There was barely any hesitation.

He decisively drew the knife from his waist.

His expression was one of surprise and doubt.

"The Demon Child... Lynn!"

"What are you doing here?!"

Chapter 19 Is this speed a baby can have?! A terrifying burst of Conqueror's Haki erupts!

"Lynn the Demon Child!"

Loxda's voice was sharp and piercing, filled with disbelief. His hand was already on the hilt of his sword, his muscles tense, as if facing a formidable enemy!

His tense demeanor was a stark contrast to his carefree attitude just moments before.

Blackbeard Teach's astonishment deepened.

"The Demon Child? Lynn?"

He turned to look at Loxda, then at the tiny, delicate-looking boy in open-crotch pants, who was suspended in mid-air.

Is this kid the one that Loxda mentioned that terrified him?

What a joke!

Bashas's eyes widened, and he asked in a gruff voice, "Hey! Red-haired kid, are you kidding me? This little guy is the demon child you were talking about?"

To him, it was just a toddler who had just learned to crawl. Apart from the fact that it could fly, which was rather unusual, he couldn't see any threat whatsoever.

Cold sweat was already beading on Loxda's forehead.

He stared intently at Lynn, his voice trembling slightly: "There's no mistake! It's him! Kaido's son, the monster with a 1 billion Berry bounty on his head—'Demon Child' Lynn!"

"That blurry photo in the newspaper is definitely what he looks like!"

"Ten...ten billion Berries?!"

With a flick of his large, fan-like hand, the meat bone in his hand fell onto the deck with a "thud," creating a greasy mess.

His rugged face was instantly filled with horror!

A baby, a billion-dollar bounty?!

Is this made of gold or inlaid with diamonds?!

"Thief, hahahaha..."

Blackbeard Teach was taken aback for a moment, then burst into his signature awful laugh.

But this laughter was not as triumphant as it used to be; instead, it carried a sense of disbelief and a hint of solemnity.

"A brat with a billion Berries? Or Kaido's son?"

His deep eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Lynn in mid-air, as if trying to see right through the tiny figure.

"On G-58 Island, three lieutenant generals from headquarters were killed, and two were seriously injured. It's said that this brat was responsible?"

Lockstar swallowed hard and nodded: "Absolutely true! The news has spread throughout the seas! The Navy has lost all face because of this!"

"hiss--!"