Chapter Two: Qiongqi! Sparring with Uncle Shiji (Please Bookmark!)

The great ship soared above the clouds.

Roar sat cross-legged on the horizontal spar of the mast, quietly gazing out over the sea of clouds ahead.

He had crossed over many years ago.

Born into this life, his parents were a pair of pirates under the command of the Rocks Pirates, unknown and obscure, who both had died early in a distant expedition.

Logically, for a child orphaned in a hive island swarming with villains, survival would be extremely difficult.

Yet Roar thrived on Hive Island, as if born for it. Two years ago, he even earned the recognition of Rocks himself, officially becoming an apprentice of the Rocks Pirates.

There were only two apprentices in the Rocks Pirates—Roar and Kaido. Nominally apprentices, they actually held the status of officers, enjoying considerable privileges. Over these two years, Roar’s life had been quite comfortable.

But Roar knew this comfortable life was nearing its end.

It was now the year 1484 of the Sea Calendar. The Battle of the Divine Valley was imminent, and the disintegration of the Rocks Pirates was fast approaching.

A new era was about to dawn.

Where should he go from here?

“Kid, what are you daydreaming about?” a muffled voice called from below.

On the deck stood a table laden with sumptuous food.

The man renowned throughout the world, the great officer of the Rocks Pirates, Golden Lion Shiki, was feasting heartily by the table.

His eating style was as bold as a lion—biting into large chunks of meat, drinking great gulps of wine. Even when his face was smeared with grease, it only made him seem more uninhibited and imposing.

The Golden Lion casually said, “If you’re not eating, then help speed up the ship. Don’t just stare off into space.”

Hearing this, Roar couldn’t help but complain, “You really know how to boss people around, Uncle Shiki.”

As he spoke, fine black hairs began to sprout all over his body.

These black, glossy hairs were anything but soft; each one was sharp and pointed like the quills on a hedgehog’s back, yet unusually flexible.

Black wings unfurled behind Roar, and above his furry cheeks, sharp horns stood proudly. At this moment, bronze-colored patterns spread across the horns.

Whoosh!

A fierce wind suddenly rose.

The slack sails instantly billowed, propelling the great ship flying through the sky to accelerate.

“Ah! Refreshing!”

The gust blew Golden Lion’s golden hair wildly as he sighed with satisfaction. “Such a convenient power! Qiongqi, right? Which country’s mythology is that from again?”

Roar lazily rested on the huge spar and said in a drawn-out tone, “Who knows? I just saw it in a book as the name of a beast representing disaster. Quite fitting, isn’t it?”

“Ha ha ha ha! Accompanied by disaster, feeding on disaster! Your ability truly is the incarnation of calamity!”

Golden Lion laughed out loud.

Qiongqi was one of the infamous ferocious beasts in Roar’s previous world’s mythology.

A winged fierce tiger, a beast associated with natural disasters and evil deeds.

This was the very ability Roar possessed.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a Devil Fruit power.

Roar had never eaten a Devil Fruit; the power to transform into Qiongqi was innate, probably because before crossing over, he had bought a Qiongqi pendant?

Though not a Devil Fruit, the manifestation of his ability was no different from one. Roar could shift between beast, human, and beast-human hybrid forms.

So, going along with local customs, Roar declared his power as the Zoan-type Cat-Cat Fruit, Mythical Beast Qiongqi form.

This ability was precisely why he gained Rocks’ recognition and became an apprentice of the Rocks Pirates.

To move Rocks—who never liked children—was proof that Roar’s power was extraordinary.

In short, Roar’s core ability was—disaster and calamity.

Qiongqi was a beast accompanied by disasters. In specific environments, the horns on Roar’s head could summon corresponding natural calamities.

When near the earth, he could cause earthquakes, mountain collapses, and volcanic eruptions.

Near rivers, lakes, or seas, he could alter river courses, trigger floods, and unleash tsunamis.

While flying in the sky, he could gather dark clouds, summon storms, and bring down thunderbolts.

Qiongqi was a beast that punished good and exalted evil; thus, Roar’s eyes could create man-made disasters.

His eyes could perceive all kinds of negative human emotions. When their shape shifted, Roar could suppress kindness in human hearts and unleash their evil thoughts.

Without a strong enough will to resist, people would be swayed by malice.

It was not unusual for someone’s personality to be permanently altered—from a great good person to a great villain.

Those with fragile wills could be entirely consumed by evil thoughts, becoming mere puppets under Roar’s control.

Even more intriguing, disasters became sustenance for Roar’s growth—literally nourishment.

The suffering of people struggling amid calamities transformed into black energy Roar could absorb.

This black energy acted as food and water, filling Roar’s hunger. For him, high-quality black energy was the tastiest thing, and beyond satisfying hunger, it naturally restored his strength and healed wounds.

Most importantly, the black energy from suffering also promoted Roar’s growth and the evolution of his abilities.

What Golden Lion said about accompanying disaster and feeding on disaster was entirely accurate.

Indeed, it was a ferocious ability. Just the power to command natural and human disasters alone made it the embodiment of calamity.

Yet Roar liked it and found it suited this wretched world perfectly.

“I’m full! I’m full!”

Golden Lion, satisfied, pulled a napkin to wipe his mouth. “Kid,” he looked up and grinned, “come keep me company while I digest.”

“All right.”

Roar flipped down lightly, landing on the deck.

“You only get lively at times like this,” Golden Lion said, waving his hand as the table and chairs flew away.

Then two swords sliced through the air and stabbed into the deck before Roar.

“Because you’ve got to balance work and rest.”

Roar casually drew the two swords before him. For a boy of only seven years, they were somewhat too long—almost taller than he was—but Roar wielded them with surprising skill.

“Ready?”

Golden Lion leisurely lit a cigar and took a deep drag before speaking with ease.

“Ready!”

Without hesitation, Roar transformed into a black shadow, his twin swords like tiger fangs tearing toward Golden Lion.

“Ha ha ha ha! Impatient little brat!”

Golden Lion blew smoke rings leisurely as he flicked two fingers of his right hand.

Suddenly, the two treasured swords at his waist—Sakura and Withered Wood—unsheathed themselves and slithered toward Roar like two serpents.

In an instant, the clashing metal rang out across the deck, a continuous clanging and banging.

Roar’s twin swords waved like the wind, the gleam of their blades nearly enveloping him completely, impervious even to splashes of water.

Yet, despite this, when facing the two famed swords flying through the air, Roar was clearly outmatched.

Even without gripping the swords himself—just controlling them with the power of the Floating Fruit—Golden Lion’s swordsmanship was beyond Roar’s reach.

All he could do was strive to fend off the twin blades’ assault.

“Isn’t this move cool, Uncle Shiki?”

Roar kept praising, “Flying Sword Technique!”

“Ha ha ha ha! It’s only good enough to deal with you, kid!”

Golden Lion laughed heartily. “But Roar, you’ve got some style now. Looks like it’s time to take it up a notch.”

With that, the two swords suddenly accelerated, and Roar, who was blocking with his swords, was instantly pushed back.

Not only speed but strength had greatly increased!

Roar’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You’re taking this too seriously, Uncle Shiki! I’m still just a kid.”

Though he said this, Roar showed no sign of retreat. On the contrary, he advanced willingly.

Strictly speaking, this was a lesson.

Since joining the Rocks Pirates two years ago, the officers had all been kind to Roar.

Roar could guess what they were thinking.

Everyone knew the Rocks Pirates wouldn’t last long—their collapse was inevitable.

So everyone was making preparations early.

The return journey was spent in these training bouts. Soon, Hive Island came into sight.