Skull Hall on Oni Island.
"Ughhhhhh !"
"There it is! Lord Jack's ability!"
"Ancient Zoan, Mammoth Form!"
"No one could withstand the full weight of an ancient mammoth!"
"If that kid had even a one percent chance of surviving before, that's zero now, hahaha!"
Amid the Beasts Pirates' cheers, the giant mammoth descended from the sky, crashing to the ground with an earth-shaking impact.
Boom!
Rumble!
The hall shook violently, the ground quaking beneath the immense force. Waves of concussive energy blasted outward, sending nearby pirates flying backward.
Moments later, as the dust cleared, all eyes turned instinctively to the center of the battlefield.
The pirates froze in shock at first, then burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! I knew it! That kid's definitely going to be smashed by Lord Jack!"
"Serves him right for being arrogant. Now there's just a head left!"
"Still, surviving under an ancient mammoth's weight with just a head… not bad!"
"Wait a second… why is that head moving?" A red-nosed pirate's expression twisted in disbelief.
"Don't be ridiculous. How could a head still move with the rest of the body gone?" another pirate waved off, denying it repeatedly.
Laughter and cheers echoed through Skull Hall, but Jack, the one involved in the fight, could not smile.
From his perspective, he could clearly see Rosha, smiling calmly up at him.
What the others saw as only a head was, in fact, Rosha's body buried underground up to the neck.
He had delivered his full mammoth-strength punch, and yet Rosha was completely unharmed. What kind of defensive monster was this?
Jack inhaled deeply, then let out a sarcastic laugh.
"I have to admit, your physical defense is impressive almost on par with an ancient Zoan like me. But in the end, you're just a turtle hiding in its shell, a punching bag."
"Uh… Lord Jack, who are you talking to?" a pirate asked, confused.
"I swear… it moved again!" the red-nosed pirate shouted, eyes wide.
"You didn't think I wouldn't hear that, did you?" Rosha said calmly.
In the next moment, under the stunned, wide-eyed gaze of the Beasts Pirates, Rosha stepped forward. Her whole body glided smoothly out of the ground.
Skull Hall fell completely silent, not a sound stirring.
"No way! Completely unharmed! He really is untouched!" Pegivan shouted.
"What insane physical strength!" Maria's face drained of color in shock.
Clap, clap!
Rosha brushed the dust off casually. "You said your defense rivals mine. Let's see if you can handle a few of my moves."
"Hmph. Bring it on. I'm not the one who's gonna run," Jack said confidently.
He believed Rosha's defense was strong, but as a mammoth Ancient Zoan, his own durability was unmatched.
"Since you asked for it, I won't hold back!" Rosha grinned.
The moment she spoke, her feet smashed the ground, and she shot forward like lightning.
Flames erupted, curling around her fists.
Dragon Fire Iron Fist!
The fist, designed to hunt giant dragons, slammed down. Jack's massive mammoth body was thrown like a fallen pillar, sliding dozens of meters across the hall and smashing into a massive tower inside.
Crash!
The tower collapsed under the impact.
"Eh?"
"Ehhh!"
The Beasts Pirates in attendance gaped, eyes bulging.
"Lord Jack "
"Lord Jack was knocked away with a single punch!"
"How could this happen? He's one of the Beasts Pirates' top fighters!"
"Jack's attack had no effect, and now…"
"No mistake! That's a monster! An unbelievable super-monster!"
The hall erupted in a commotion.
Rumble!
From the rubble, Jack struggled under the stone, his ancient mammoth form pushing through with tusks.
"I thought you might have some skill, but this? This attack doesn't even tickle!" Jack said casually.
Hearing this, the pirates who were panicking a second ago relaxed, believing Jack's words.
"This is insane! Jack's an Ancient Zoan Mammoth user, and yet he was sent flying by that guy's punch," Maria said seriously.
She wasn't just another pirate she was a future Flying Six, fully capable of judging the battle. She could see through Jack's act; he wasn't as relaxed as he seemed.
Indeed, Rosha's full-power Dragon Fire Punch could shatter even the scales of the Azure Dragon Phantom Beast. There was no way it could be useless against a mammoth Ancient Zoan.
At this moment, Jack's four massive legs trembled slightly, and inside his body, he felt like his organs were being roasted alive.
"What kind of existence is this guy? His defense is insane, his punches heavy, and that fire… is he a fire user?" Jack's mind churned with shock.
"Not bad for an ancient species. Then I'll keep going!"
Rosha advanced, her steps growing faster.
"Come on!" Jack drew a deep breath, tusks pointing at Rosha as he charged.
Thud!
They collided. Rosha grabbed one of Jack's tusks, lifting the massive mammoth over her head.
Flames rose again, forming giant wings behind her.
Dragon Fire Wing Strike!
The flaming wings whipped the air, creating a fiery tornado, launching Mammoth Jack into the sky.
Rosha soared with the flaming whirlwind, positioning herself above Jack. She swung down in an inverted hook kick.
Dragon Fire Claw!
Whoosh!
Boom!
Rumble!
Jack's massive body plummeted like a meteor, smashing into Skull Hall and creating a crater over a hundred meters wide. Tower structures around it collapsed.
"It's time to finish this!"
Rosha stood high above, hands raised above her head, flames gathering into a massive sphere, swelling with the wind.
Gaia Energy Cannon!
The three-meter-diameter fireball fell directly on the struggling Mammoth Jack.
Boom!
A catastrophic explosion ripped through Skull Hall, waves of scorching heat radiating in all directions.
When the dust settled, Jack lay scorched and unmoving in the crater.
Rosha stood atop him, a pristine tusk resting on her shoulder.
"Let's make this official. My name is Rosha. Kaido brought me here to serve as your new vice-captain. From now on, if Kaido's not around, I'm in charge. Who's with me? Who objects?"