Ten thousand meters below the deep sea…
Two pirate ships tied together, wrapped in a transparent film, slowly sank.
Bazel, bandaged like a mummy, lay on the deck, comfortably enjoying a lap pillow.
"Hey, even if I'm injured, there's no need to bandage me like this, right?! And which bastard bandaged me like this while I was unconscious?!"
Hanafuda, leaning against the ship's side, put down his bottle of sake and grinned, "It was Arber. That guy rushed to bandage you and even said something like, 'If anyone dares to take this chance from me, I'll make them regret it'."
Bazel's eye twitched, "Where is he?"
Hanafuda pointed to the side, "He went to take charge on the other ship."
"That bastard…"
Bazel gritted his teeth in frustration, 'That bastard was absolutely, blatantly seeking revenge!!'
'Next time, I'd definitely beat him until he was just as injured, then bandage him up like a cross-shaped mummy!'
"Bazel, you did well."
Kaido, who had just come out of the cabin, found a spot to sit down, followed by Tom, who wore an apologetic expression.
"Ah~ I'm really sorry, Bazel-san."
"I tried to explain, but they thought I was being threatened into saying those things."
"I feel terrible that you got hurt, especially since it was my own choice to go and witness the future you described."
"It's fine. Actually, I should be thanking you."
Bazel grinned and said, "Thanks to this battle, I've made another step forward in developing my devil fruit."
"As long as I take it steady from here, I'll soon be able to fully adapt to Gear 3."
"Speaking of which, Bazel, I don't really understand this Gear 2 and Gear 3 you mentioned."
Sake trickled down the corner of his mouth and onto his chest. Kaido wiped it with the back of his hand and asked curiously, "Is it divided by power?"
"Pretty much. Gear 2 is stronger than the base state, and Gear 3 is stronger still, but the difference is…"
Bazel recalled the feeling of activating Gear 3.
"In the Setting Sun Body, both speed and power are several times greater than in Gear 2."
"But the most useful part is the amplification of instincts."
'Amplification of instincts?'
Kaido looked puzzled, "What a strange state. So the biggest boost in Gear 3 isn't strength?"
"It's probably because of my obsession. When I was fighting Rayleigh, I realized I could hardly keep up with his speed."
"The same thing happened when I fought against Shiki."
"When I broke through my limits, I guess I was so focused on that aspect that most of Gear 3's power went into perception and reaction speed."
"But I think it might be more accurate to describe it as combat instinct."
"In that state, all my instincts are greatly enhanced. Whether attacking or defending, everything operates to maximize efficiency."
The others listening finally understood.
"No wonder you tore apart your closed muscles to reveal the bone spikes. So that's how it was."
Kaido exclaimed, "If that's the case, if you continue developing this Gear 3, it's going to become an incredible ability."
Hearing Kaido mention his severed hand, Bazel remembered he still had the ability to shed his skin.
He immediately asked Toki to release him.
Under the curious gazes of Kaido and the others, Bazel closed his eyes, and his skin began to dry, crack, and deform.
As a pair of hands pierced through the bandages and pushed forcefully, a completely new Bazel appeared before everyone.
"S-Shedding skin?!"
Hanafuda rubbed his goosebump-covered arms and stepped back.
"Hey, hey, Bazel, you're human, not an actual Yamata no Orochi! And even if you were, it shouldn't shed its skin like a normal snake, right?!"
"It's just a flexible use of my ability."
Bazel moved his fully restored left hand, and a thunderous rumble echoed from his stomach.
"Food, I need a lot of food! Hanafuda, hurry up and tell your subordinates to bring all the food here!"
"Right away, I'll go do it."
Hanafuda left, while Kaido fell into deep thought.
"Shedding skin… Bazel, you really keep surprising me. I never expected you to develop such an ability."
"But you probably can't use this ability casually, right? Otherwise, you definitely wouldn't have held back in Gear 3."
Bazel nodded in acknowledgment, "Right after shedding my skin, I enter a period of weakness that lasts about three to five minutes."
"This period of weakness will shorten as my body grows stronger."
"In that state, not only are my muscles weak and limp, but my defense is also very fragile."
"With Dark King Rayleigh's speed, he definitely wouldn't have let that opening slide, so I didn't use it at the time."
"Food is here!!"
"Bazel-sama, please enjoy!"
Wrapping his hands in Armament Haki, he picked up the sizzling large roasted meats and tore into them.
"Anyway, it all comes down to your body being too weak!"
Kaido glared at Bazel and said dissatisfiedly, "Starting tomorrow, I'll personally train you to build up your body. A body like this won't do! Are you going to say you're weak and powerless even when having kids in the future?!"
Beside him, Toki's face flushed bright red, "H-Having kids is still too early, Kaido-san!!"
"Bazel and I aren't married yet. Having kids will have to wait until later!"
Bazel glared back at Kaido.
"How could anyone be weak and powerless in that situation? Stop talking nonsense! You're the one ruining my reputation like this!"
"Hey!"
"Hanafuda, what are you writing down? I'm warning you, don't write nonsense!!"
"Wait, you bastard, let me see that little notebook!"
Watching the two chase each other, Tom looked on with envy, "Ah, youth is wonderful. Being able to roughhouse with your brothers without worrying about others' judgment."
Kaido glanced at Tom, "You're only fifty, right? Although fish-men don't live as long as giants, your lifespan is still much longer than humans."
"Tahahaha!!"
Tom laughed and patted his belly.
"What's coming next is a super~massive project that will change the seas!"
"Building a passage connecting the human world and the Kingdom of Giants… Bazel-sama's vision is truly something to admire!"
"I can't waste my strength on other things. I must use all of it in the most proper place!"
Mentioning Bazel's vision, Kaido couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
"Bazel is indeed a once-in-a-millennium talent. His wisdom and foresight even make me, his captain, feel ashamed."
"Probably because he has too many heads."
King, who had sneakily slipped over at some point, sat down beside Kaido.
"That guy isn't a normal human. Who here has ever seen a normal human with eight heads?"
Toki looked at King in surprise, "You still dare to come over, King-san? Bazel has been wanting to cause trouble for you just now."
King glanced guiltily at Bazel, who was now playfully fighting with Hanafuda.
"Cough, it's fine. Bazel isn't that petty, and besides, I was doing it for his own good."
Olga, who was always following King, rolled her eyes.
"Ehehehe~~ If I secretly tell Bazel that King is here, that arrogant King will definitely get taught a lesson."
"Then I'll record it with a Den Den Mushi and tease him about it for a hundred years!"
"Idiot Olga, you said what you were thinking out loud again."
King gave her a chop on the head.
"Don't record that kind of thing, or I'll roast Elizabeth into lizard jerky."
"Oww~"
Olga clutched the lump on her head, pouted, and sat down next to Toki, making faces at King.
"Nyah nyah nyah~"
"Stingy, arrogant King, hmph~"
A shout suddenly came from the crow's nest.
"Kaido-sama, Hanafuda-sama~~"
"We can already see the outline of Fish-Man Island, but the entrance seems really lively!"
"It looks like..."
"A group of Marines is fighting with some pirates. Should we go help?"
"Help?"
Hanafuda's eyes lit up, and he quickly broke free from Bazel's grip, grinning, "That's right, we're going to help! Tell Babanuki to speed things up over there. We're going to break up the fight!"
"We're good pirates, after all. We have to help properly~"
Kaido yawned and lay back.
"I'm not going. Hanafuda, you're responsible for Tom's safety. Arber, you stay with me to watch the ship."
"We're not far from the World Government and Marine Headquarters here. Don't leave more than ten meters away from me."
King's eyes flickered, he naturally understood the deeper meaning in Kaido's words.
"Understood. I'll relay the matter of negotiating with the Ryugu Palace to Bazel."
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