"What's going on, Captain Rocks? Why is your hand gone?" Golden Lion stared at Rocks in disbelief. "Didn't Ayr already bring you back from the dead? Why does it look like you're turning into a skeleton again?"
Charlotte Linlin watched as the flesh on Rocks' arm visibly withered. "I knew it… The most forbidden power in this world is to resurrect the dead. Even with someone like Ayr, resurrection is bound to be temporary."
In this world, miracles are common—especially those tied to Devil Fruits. Yet even among those miracles, there are boundaries no one dares to cross. Bringing the dead back to life? That's something unheard of, even among the most mythical Paramecia or Zoan awakenings. There are scarcely any Devil Fruits with such absurd abilities, much less one capable of fully restoring life.
But Ayr had done it.
He had brought back Rocks D. Xebec—a man who had shaken the world in his prime. The resurrection shocked the seas, but as with any overpowered ability, there was a price. Even in this world of monsters and gods, power demands balance.
Ayr looked at Rocks seriously. "Though it was short, I'm grateful we got to speak again after so long. I promise, I'll bring you back again… this time, permanently."
He didn't expect the mighty Rocks, who once ruled the seas like a storm, to bow before anyone. Yet upon resurrection, Rocks had shown unwavering loyalty to Ayr. He believed in Ayr's future. He believed that this man would surpass even his own legacy, that he would one day rule the world completely.
Even more surprising was the rationale behind Rocks' final choices—he spared old enemies, proposed conditions, and extended mercy. Why? Because he believed doing so would help Ayr ascend.
It reminded Ayr of the Rinne Tensei Technique from an ancient shinobi world—like the one used by the original Hokage's reanimation. That technique, while not directly damaging the spirit, could still impact the resurrected in profound psychological ways.
Rocks was the same. Ayr could sense that his resurrection had altered his mind. His soul bore loyalty far deeper than even a crewmate's bond. Maybe it wasn't just the jutsu or Devil Fruit power—it was fate.
Rocks was Ayr's most loyal follower. For someone like him, Ayr silently vowed: I will bring you back again. Not temporarily. Truly and completely.
Rocks laughed, his voice thunderous despite his body fading. "Hahaha… When I awaken again, you'll already be sitting atop the world, Ayr. I'm looking forward to it."
He wasn't afraid. There was no sorrow. Only anticipation.
As his final words echoed, the last of Rocks' vitality faded. His flesh vanished, and all that remained was a skeleton, seated in a throne-like chair—calm and unmoving.
"Captain Rocks…" Charlotte Linlin stared at the remains, her heart clouded with complex emotions.
Although Rocks had died again, there was one thing clear in everyone's mind—Ayr could bring him back.
Linlin had lost her bid to become the Pirate King, and now, before Ayr, her ambitions felt hollow. He stood so far above them all.
A man who could cheat death… no pirate could match that. Not even the Yonko.
Ayr, standing silent before Rocks' bones, remained quiet for a long time.
Then he summoned a subordinate. "Preserve his remains. Don't bury him. I'll bring him back someday… properly."
With that, he turned to the others: Golden Lion, Kaido, and Linlin—the pirates who had come when news of Rocks' return first broke.
"So, why are you all still here?" he asked, his voice even.
They had come for Rocks. Now he was gone. There was no reason for them to remain.
Kaido stood first, arms crossed and eyes serious. "Ayr… if you ever start a war that shakes the entire world, I'll be there."
His voice didn't waver.
His dream was chaos. Kaido wanted to plunge the world into global war, tearing down the Celestial Dragons, dismantling the hierarchy, and creating a world where everyone was equal. He had once dreamed of doing it himself, but now… he knew better.
Ayr was the one who could actually do it.
"I don't know if your rule will make the world equal," Kaido said. "But I do know this one is rotten. I want to see the next one."
Ayr gave a knowing smile. "Your dream isn't so different from a certain Straw Hat's. Freedom, chaos, equality… I understand."
Kaido turned to leave. "This world disgusts me. I just hope that when you rule it… I can stand to look at it."
Then he walked out, without another word.
"Then, goodbye, Ayr."
Golden Lion didn't elaborate. He merely nodded and followed Kaido out.
His goal had never changed—to become king of the seas. Unlike Kaido, he didn't care about equality. And while Ayr's power was undeniable, Golden Lion wasn't ready to abandon his own ambitions.
If a war between Ayr and the World Government broke out, he wouldn't side with either. He would watch and wait.
Linlin stepped forward last. "I'll be going too."
Her tone was complicated. For all her pride, for all her ambitions, she had nothing to say now. In the presence of Ayr, even her lifelong desire for domination felt like an afterthought.
Now only Whitebeard remained.
Ayr picked up a bottle of fine sake and tossed it to him. "And you, Edward? Got something to say?"
Whitebeard caught it effortlessly. "Gu la la la… Those three had grudges with Rocks. I didn't. I didn't come here to beg forgiveness or declare war."
He took a deep drink. "I came to see if the rumors were true. To see if the man who once tried to conquer the world was really alive again."
"And now?" Ayr asked.
Whitebeard grinned. "Now, I just want to drink. With you."
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