The World

The chilling winds of the Winter Isles howled through the desolate landscape as Gaku and Lili stood atop a jagged cliff, looking down at a small pirate encampment nestled between frozen ridges. Smoke curled from makeshift fires, and the dim glow of lanterns flickered against the icy walls. Below, their target, Gem the Bomb Man, lounged by one of the fires, laughing with his small crew of rough-looking men.

"Underwhelming," Lili muttered, hugging herself against the cold. "I thought we'd be dealing with someone terrifying."

Gaku exhaled, his breath visible in the frigid air. "Doesn't matter. We're here to get this done."

With that, he leapt from the cliffside, landing with a heavy thud in the middle of the camp. The gathered pirates yelped in surprise, scrambling for their weapons, but before they could react, Gaku's gaze locked onto Gem.

"You. We're taking you to Blackbeard," Gaku announced, cracking his knuckles.

Gem, still seated, raised an eyebrow before breaking into laughter. "Zehaha! Oh, so Teach finally sent someone after me, huh? I guess that means I've made a name for myself after all." He got to his feet, rolling his shoulders. "You must be strong if he sent you. But lemme guess—he wants me alive?"

Gaku didn't answer, but his stance told Gem everything he needed to know. The bomb-user grinned, stretching his arms wide.

"Too bad for you! The Bomu Bomu no Mi makes me untouchable. No matter how hard you hit me, I just explode and reform. You can't kill me." He clenched his fists, and his arms started to glow, veins of energy crackling as he prepared to unleash an explosion.

Lili sighed from her perch above. "Here we go..."

With a loud boom, Gem launched himself at Gaku, both fists detonating in controlled explosions to propel his attacks faster. He threw a rapid flurry of punches, each one detonating on impact. The ground beneath them shook as fire and debris scattered through the camp.

Gaku dodged the first few swings, reading Gem's movements. He felt the heat of the explosions singe his coat, but he remained unfazed. With a sudden step forward, he caught Gem's incoming punch—his metal arm absorbing the force of the explosion with minimal damage.

"What?" Gem's eyes widened in shock.

Before he could react, Gaku twisted his grip and delivered a devastating punch to Gem's gut, sending him skidding across the frozen ground. The bomb-user coughed violently, trying to get up, but Gaku was already on him.

With mechanical efficiency, Gaku's metal arms spun like bladed turbines, slashing through the air as he struck Gem with a rapid series of brutal blows. The explosive man tried to detonate in defense, but Gaku anticipated it, gripping his arm tightly to contain the blast. A moment later, he drove his knee into Gem's face, slamming him into the snow.

Gem groaned, struggling to rise. His body flickered with unstable energy, but before he could explode again, Gaku swiftly delivered a final strike—a heavy downward punch to the back of his head, knocking him out cold.

The battlefield fell silent. The other pirates, who had initially prepared to fight back, stared in stunned horror. Some began to run.

Lili finally landed beside Gaku, shaking her head. "That was... honestly disappointing."

Gaku flexed his metal fingers. "Yeah. I thought he'd put up more of a fight." He picked up the unconscious Gem and slung him over his shoulder. "Let's go."

As they made their way to their ship, Gaku pulled out the small Den Den Mushi Blackbeard had given him and made the call.

After a few rings, Teach's deep, amused voice rumbled through the receiver. "Zehahahaha! I was wonderin' how long it'd take ya! So? You got the little bomb man?"

Gaku adjusted Gem's weight on his shoulder. "It's done. He's alive."

Blackbeard chuckled. "Hah! Only expected that much from ya! Bring him back, I got somethin' waitin' for ya." With another booming laugh, the call cut off.

Lili scoffed, tucking her hands into her coat. "I swear, that guy gives me the creeps. Every time he talks, it feels like he's planning something."

Gaku gave a small nod. "He is. He's always scheming."

With that, they sailed back to Blackbeard's island.

——

Upon arrival, a group of Blackbeard Pirates awaited them at the shore. Their grins and cruel laughter made the air feel thick with hostility. Gaku ignored them, carrying Gem through the base, with Lili at his side.

As they entered the main hall, Blackbeard himself sat at the head of a long table, surrounded by his most trusted officers. Burgess, Shiryu, Van Augur, and even Aokiji were present, drinking and feasting as always.

Blackbeard leaned forward with his signature grin. "Zehahaha! Gaku, my boy! Looks like ya handled things well!"

Gaku dropped Gem unceremoniously onto the floor. "He wasn't much trouble."

Blackbeard glanced down at the unconscious man, then back at Gaku. "Good, good! Y'see, this was important! I needed you to do this. Couldn't have some weakling screwin' it up."

Gaku crossed his arms. "If it was this easy, then it wasn't really necessary for me to be the one to do it."

Blackbeard's grin widened. "Now, now, don't think too much about it! You'll see soon enough why this mission mattered. For now, just stand by. I'll be callin' ya again real soon... and this time, I got a surprise for ya."

With that, Blackbeard turned his attention back to the feast, dismissing Gaku from the room.

Lili nudged him as they left. "I hate surprises."

Gaku exhaled sharply, glancing back at the towering figure of Teach before stepping outside. "Yeah. Me too."

The air in the hall had been thick with the scent of feasts and liquor only minutes ago, but now, it was deathly still. Gaku and Lili stood in front of Blackbeard, who sat comfortably at the head of the room, a bizarre-shaped Devil Fruit in his massive hand.

The fruit's strange patterns and swirling colors were unmistakable—this was the Bomu Bomu no Mi.

Gaku's brow furrowed. "When did you pick that up?"

Blackbeard's grin widened. "Zehahaha! This? It's Gem's gift. That fool wasn't much use to me, but his fruit sure is. See, this is why I needed you on the job, Gaku. I wanted ya to see firsthand what the Bomb Bomb Fruit can do—with a better user, that is!"

He extended the fruit toward Gaku.

"Consider this a welcome gift," Teach offered.

For once, Lili didn't mutter some sarcastic remark or make a joke. He stood beside Gaku in silence, ears twitching as he processed what was happening.

Gaku stared at the fruit, his mind weighing the possibilities. Having a Devil Fruit—especially one that made him immune to explosions—could be useful. But it would also mean shackling himself to the sea, stripping away his ability to swim. His mechanical arms were built for high-impact combat, and the fruit's power could complement them well...

Just as he was about to respond, a voice—deep, unwavering, and foreign—echoed through the room.

"Unrivaled in the world...."

The words sent a chill through Gaku's spine. Lili's tail bristled as he snapped his head around, ears flattened in alarm.

"No one in the world can rival me,

Whether there are tens, hundreds, thousands of enemies, none can threaten me."

The presence of the speaker was unnatural—there was no sound of footsteps, no shift in the air, yet he was here. Gaku's muscles tensed, and his eyes darted around, scanning every corner.

Blackbeard's grin faltered.

"The moment someone makes me their enemy, it'd be the same as making the world their enemy."

Gaku finally found him.

Behind them, sitting cross-legged on the wooden floor, was an old man. He had been there all along, though neither Gaku nor Lili had noticed him until now. He was dressed in tattered robes, his long white hair unkempt, and his piercing eyes locked onto Gaku with an intensity that made even the battle-hardened warrior uneasy.

"No one will ever think of making me their enemy. This is what it means to be unrivaled in the world."

The old man's gaze was sharp as a blade as he studied Gaku. Then, with an air of certainty, he spoke again.

"What do you think of it? You are strong—but not unrivaled. But I can make it true for you."

Gaku narrowed his eyes. His instincts told him this man was dangerous—far beyond anyone he had encountered.

Then, from the front of the room, Blackbeard's face twisted with anger.

"Have you gone senile, old man?! Where the fuck did you come from?!"

He shot up from his seat, his entire body brimming with dark energy. But before he could do anything—

The old man threw a punch.

Blackbeard barely managed to dodge. The fist whizzed past his face, missing by a fraction of an inch. But a split second later—

Drip.

Blood began trickling from Blackbeard's nose.

A stunned silence filled the hall.

Gaku and Lili stiffened in place. Blackbeard, who had just dodged the attack, was now bleeding—without having been visibly hit. His expression flickered from confusion to rage.

The old man had barely moved.

Teach gritted his teeth, taking a slow breath to calm himself. "Tch... What do you want?"

His voice was no longer full of bravado—it was cautious. He even acknowledged him directly.

"Kingston."

Gaku and Lili exchanged glances. They had never heard of this man before, but the way Blackbeard said his name was different. There was no mockery, no arrogance. It was as if he was addressing something... or someone... beyond reason.

And that meant only one thing.

This man was someone to be feared.