Jack's assignment to guard Ailen Island in place of King seemed to have been arranged long ago. Clearly, King had faith in Kerr—the man was indeed as talented as King claimed. Even without Jack's involvement, everything on the island ran smoothly and efficiently.
With nothing better to do, Jack split his time between practicing rope techniques on Yamato and engaging in masochistic sparring sessions with Rim. Scratch that—"getting beaten up" was more accurate. Jack's goal was to push his Immortal Body ability to the next level, which would put him on the same tier as Kaido.
From his years of experience at sea, Jack knew that the system's rewards were often tied to his "targets." Currently, Kaido was the only known user of the Immortal Body, making it a distant dream to acquire it directly from the system. If Jack wanted to achieve that level, he'd have to rely on himself.
Kaido's Fish-Fish Fruit, Azure Dragon form, was leagues ahead of Jack's Mammoth Fruit in rarity and power. Kaido could control various natural elements, whereas the Mammoth Fruit paled in comparison. However, the Mammoth Fruit had its own merits. It greatly enhanced Jack's physical strength and endurance, and after awakening, his defense reached unprecedented heights.
The tough and elastic mammoth hide offered superior protection compared to even Kaido's dragon scales. Combined with Jack's already exaggerated musculature, he could tank Kaido's attack and escape unscathed.
If Jack could push his Immortal Body to the next level, he believed that, apart from advanced Haki like Ryuo, no one's attacks would even scratch him. To stand against a thousand foes, one's defense had to be absolute. As the self-proclaimed "Ship King," Jack could only rely on others—never the other way around. Breaking through this limitation was Jack's current top priority.
But this training regime took its toll on Rim and Finder, who were exhausted to the point of despair. After all, it was maddening to slash someone, only to hear them cheerfully shout, "Harder! Come on, put some muscle into it!"
As for Yamato... Jack couldn't afford her "help." That girl's attacks were viciously precise, targeting spots that weren't just painful but also downright dangerous. Jack couldn't risk things getting out of hand—one slip-up, and he'd have to pray the system could reward him with a replacement. A supersized one, at that, or it wouldn't match his physique.
After two months of this, Jack finally gave up. Rim and Finder simply weren't strong enough to push him to his limits. Rim's attacks barely left scratches, and Finder was good for nothing but massages. If Jack wanted real pressure, he'd need to do what Kaido did: venture out and find it.
With his mind made up, Jack prepared to set sail. But before leaving, he needed to ensure the safety of Ailen Island. This place was as vital to the Beasts Pirates as Wano itself. If anything happened here, it would cause no end of trouble.
After inspecting the mines and factories and confirming everything was in order, Jack turned his gaze toward his companions. Rim, as the navigator, would naturally accompany him. That left Yamato and Finder behind.
By all accounts, Yamato's strength made her the ideal candidate to stay and guard Ailen Island. But there was no way she'd agree to that, so Finder would have to do. Though not as strong as Yamato, Finder's skills, combined with the mobility of the Fish-Men under his command, made him a competent choice for defending the island.
After giving his instructions to Finder and Kerr, Jack set out aboard the Mammoth. With the wind in its sails, the ship departed, and Yamato stood on deck, cheering with excitement. But after two weeks of endless ocean, her enthusiasm waned.
Jack squatted on the deck, fishing rod in hand, calmly waiting for a bite. The loyal wolf sat beside him, tongue out, eagerly anticipating his share of the catch.
"Whoosh!"
"Whoa! This one's strong!"
Yamato rolled her eyes, her gaze darting mischievously before she bolted to the helm.
"Hahahaha! A sea beast! I knew it—a big one!"
A massive sea beast leaped from the water, roaring in pain. Jack grabbed his spiked club, ready to knock it out, when suddenly the deck vanished beneath him. Before he could react, the sea beast swallowed him whole.
The Mammoth shot forward like an arrow, leaving behind panicked Fish-Men shouting:
"Jack-sama has been eaten by a sea beast!"
Inside the sea beast's mouth, Jack's club lodged itself horizontally, preventing the creature from closing its jaws. Despite its efforts to dive and thrash, Jack remained firmly stuck, forcing the sea beast to swim forward in agony.
Meanwhile, in the shadow of gathering clouds, a small boat bobbed on the waves. Resembling a coffin in size and shape, it floated aimlessly. Its sole occupant was a man wearing a black hat trimmed with white fur and a floral shirt, a large cross-shaped sword strapped to his back. His hawk-like yellow eyes radiated an imposing aura, even as he swirled a glass of red wine.
This was Dracule Mihawk, the "Marine Hunter," whose reputation as the world's greatest swordsman was unmatched. With a flushed face and a slightly swaying hand, Mihawk downed the last of his wine, then stood to relieve himself over the side of the boat.
"Hisssss..."
As the liquid arced into the sea, Mihawk suddenly sensed movement. His hand instinctively moved to his sword hilt as a sea beast emerged from the depths. Its eyes brimmed with tears, and—to Mihawk's shock—a man dangled from its mouth.
Jack met Mihawk's gaze, then looked away, muttering, "Oh, come on!"
"Hey! What the hell is wrong with you? Do you have no sense of decency? It's people like you ruining the ocean!"
Jack squinted. "Wait a second! You're Mihawk, the Marine Hunter, aren't you? How do you even have the nerve to show yourself like this?"
Before Mihawk could respond, Jack's animated movements caused the sea beast to dive again, leaving Mihawk standing on his boat, stunned. After a moment, he snapped back to reality, hastily pulling up his pants and grabbing his sword. Using it as an oar, he furiously paddled away.
From the Mammoth's deck, Yamato doubled over with laughter.
"Look! An idiot's rowing with a sword!"
"Yamato, please rescue Jack-sama already!" one of the Fish-Men pleaded.
"That kind of stupidity is contagious if you watch too long," she quipped.
With a burst of speed, the Mammoth nearly capsized Mihawk's tiny boat. Glaring furiously, Mihawk stood, his face bright red as he unleashed a slash at the water, propelling his craft forward.
"Damn it! I'll kill every last one of you!"
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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg