*Chapter 279: Internal Conflict Between Two Pirate Crews*

The aggressive gaze made Orochimaru very satisfied. He didn’t pay attention to the trivial matter of Jack seeing him as prey.

He had followed the original formula to make the potion, and it was clearly a success. Jack standing before him was the best evidence of that.

As for the various side effects, Orochimaru hadn't removed any of them. He wanted the product to have flaws.

Only something flawed wouldn't be feared by others, allowing him to continue his research in peace.

"I'm so hungry, so hungry..."

Jack stared greedily at Orochimaru, reaching out toward him.

Bang!

In an instant, a figure struck, embedding Jack into the wall.

The massive skeleton retracted slowly, and everyone watched silently as the scene unfolded.

Even the two from Big Mom's pirate crew kept their eyes on Jack, observing him closely.

Fuzifu watched intently, hoping Jack would display some miraculous ability.

"Hahahahahaha!"

Suddenly, Jack, who was stuck in the wall, burst into loud laughter.

His bent arms began healing at an eerie speed.

Within moments, they were fully restored!

Jack slowly crawled out of the wall, wearing a strange smile.

He looked at his body, clenched his fists, and felt the immense strength coursing through him.

There was also a power that continuously restored his body.

This power made Jack feel obsessed, almost addicted.

"Is there still a need to test his regenerative abilities?"

Kakashi suddenly asked.

Jack had already demonstrated incredible healing powers.

Was it really necessary to continue testing?

"Test it! Let's try cutting off his head and see. If it's not with a Sun Blade, cutting off the head shouldn't matter much."

Raijin, not one to pass up on the spectacle, waved to Smoothie as he spoke.

Since they were testing, they might as well do it thoroughly.

Let’s see if he can regrow his head.

"Huh?"

Jack’s grin vanished instantly, and he froze on the spot.

He couldn’t believe Raijin had said something so outrageous.

"No way! If my head gets cut off, it won't grow back!"

Jack quickly shook his head and instinctively took a few steps back.

If his head didn't grow back, wouldn't he just die for the sake of an experiment?

Would Raijin compensate him for the loss? Unlikely.

Even Kaido wouldn't avenge him if things went wrong.

"What are you afraid of? With your ability, there’s no issue."

"You know, for demons like these, growing their heads back is basic stuff."

"Even the Lower Moons can do it. Don’t believe me? I can bring one here to show you!"

Kakashi stepped in to comfort Jack.

Although Raijin’s suggestion was extreme, this kind of ability was a standard feature for demons!

Besides, Orochimaru was still collecting detailed data.

Kakashi gestured for someone to bring in a Lower Moon demon.

Before the demon could react, its head was chopped off.

Under everyone’s gaze, the demon slowly reattached its head.

"See? No problem. Relax, it won't kill you."

Kakashi patted Jack on the back.

This guy was massive, yet so timid!

Kakashi was at a loss for words.

But perhaps it was this fearfulness that had kept Jack alive for so long.

"Alright then."

Jack was still hesitant.

But with so many people watching him, he felt he couldn’t back down now without being ridiculed.

In the end, he stood before them.

Smoothie, with a sinister grin, drew her sword and swung it fiercely at Jack.

Swoosh!

A huge head flew into the air!

"Hahahahaha, are you disappointed?"

"Even with Armament Haki, you couldn’t kill me? Feeling a bit let down?"

Suddenly, a loud and exaggerated voice echoed.

Jack’s decapitated head glared at Smoothie with a twisted expression, looking like a demon.

"So it’s true! You can survive without a head!"

Smoothie sneered, sheathed her sword, and stepped back.

The Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates didn’t exactly get along.

After all, both crews were vying for the same throne.

There was no way either side would willingly hand it over to the other.

Whenever they crossed paths on the seas, a fight was inevitable.

The animosity ran deep.

"Hmm, it seems everything’s fine! Too bad we don’t have a Sun Blade to test on you."

"I’d love to see how much damage it could do."

"But no matter! Now you can spread your blood."

"You’ll probably have a bunch of powerful subordinates soon."

Orochimaru said regretfully.

If he could, he’d love to experiment more on Jack.

But he didn’t have enough resources to try everything.

"They're going to drink it too?"

Jack asked, looking toward the members of the Big Mom Pirates.

He felt like he was facing competition!

If Smoothie drank it, Jack wasn’t sure he could beat her.

After all, turning into a demon came with certain blood arts.

Jack hadn’t fully grasped his own blood arts yet.

And Smoothie, with her Devil Fruit powers, would only get stronger.

It would be much harder to deal with her.

"That’s right! Don’t worry, it’s the same formula."

Orochimaru nodded.

Sensing Jack’s suspicion, he clarified to ease his concern.

"Then I'll watch her drink it first."

Jack didn’t respond immediately, choosing instead to move toward Raijin.

Though he was starving, Jack knew he needed to gather more intel on his competitors.

A few hours later, two ships left Dressrosa, sailing in different directions.

Jack clenched his fists, a sinister expression on his face.

He was eager to claim the glory he believed he deserved.

"This power is intoxicating! With this strength, I might even be able to defeat the Red-Haired Shanks!"

"This is what I’ve always dreamed of, hahaha! This is true power!"

Fuzifu, sitting beside Jack, laughed wildly, eyes filled with ambition.

His dream had always been to seek revenge on Shanks, and now, he felt like it was within reach.

A few years ago, Shanks was still an emerging power in the New World.

But in a short time, he had become a fearsome force, second only to Whitebeard, Kaido, and Big Mom.

Fuzifu knew he had to take matters into his own hands for revenge. Waiting for Kaido to claim the Pirate King’s throne might take too long. Who knew what could happen by then?

So Fuzifu planned to kill Shanks himself on the high seas.

"Hahahahaha, so, you’re probably the strongest among the Flying Six now, right?"

"No! You could probably even beat Brother Queen! What do you say we team up and become the new All-Stars?"

"If I spread my blood, half the Beasts Pirates will be under our command."

Jack’s eyes gleamed with ambition as he looked at Fuzifu, speaking seriously.

Since becoming this half-demon, half-monster, Jack's mindset had shifted dramatically.

He now had a wild idea: to become a daimyo of Wano.

Though outwardly he’d still claim to serve Kaido, Jack envisioned himself as Kaido’s equal.

He was no longer the old Jack.

"You want to..."

Fuzifu's eyes flickered, unable to hide his shock.

This guy had such nerve—he actually wanted to split the world with Kaido!

Kaido had full control over the Beasts Pirates, and Jack's idea wasn't going to be easy to realize.

That would require enough power to stand face-to-face with Kaido and speak as an equal.

And now Jack was bold enough to make such a claim. Did he think he already had that kind of strength?

Fuzifu wasn't sure. He had only just gained this new power himself, and he wasn't confident yet.

"That's right! If you don't fight for it, how will you ever know your limits?"

"I've spent this past year getting to know how these people operate. If we don't act now, soon enough—"

"We'll be sidelined, both you and me, reduced to nobodies in the Beasts Pirates."

"You know better than anyone that during the time I stayed in Dressrosa, not a single person checked in on me. They've already forgotten about me."

"This time, when I go back, I'm going to tell them—everything I lost, I'm taking it all back!"

Jack clenched his fist, his muscles bulging and looking terrifying.

But at that moment, Fuzifu didn’t feel afraid—he felt a surge of excitement.

As a CP9 member, he had been accepted into the Beasts Pirates, seemingly with ease.

But over the years, many still harbored doubts about him.

Only Kaido and a few high-ranking members truly trusted him.

Though Kaido's tolerance was remarkable, being excluded from the rest of the crew was still uncomfortable.

"Hahaha, do it first, then we'll talk! When you prove it, I'll pledge my loyalty and follow you."

Fuzifu sneered. Though Jack’s proposal shocked him, he was impressed.

Charging forward without regard for anything—that’s the only way to get what you really want.

At this point, Fuzifu had even abandoned his human identity.

As for the camaraderie within the Beasts Pirates, Fuzifu felt it no longer mattered to him.

"Good!"

Jack nodded.

Though he could easily control him, as a strong man of the seas, there was still some dignity to be maintained.

For example, they preferred to conquer others through charisma, not dirty tricks.

"Jack has already challenged all the Flying Six! He’s now qualified to be one of the All-Stars!"

On the arena stage at Onigashima, a few bodies lay at Jack’s feet, their frames twisted and contorted beyond recognition.

They moaned in agony—an unbearable sight.

But the Flying Six were the core strength of the Beasts Pirates.

Kaido wouldn’t let Jack kill them.

Most of the Beasts Pirates had Zoan-type Devil Fruits, so injuries like these could be healed with time.

"Ulalalala, so this is what Jack’s been up to? Looks like it’s not half bad."

"I never thought this kid would get so strong—he’s more of a monster than I am."

Kaido, sitting above with a wine gourd in hand, laughed.

Jack had potential, but it hadn’t been fully tapped yet.

Originally, Kaido had planned to wait five years before picking one of them to become the third All-Star.

But now, there was no need. Jack was ready, and Kaido didn’t have to worry anymore.

"But this kid feels like a different person. The first time I looked at him, it felt like I was seeing something filthy."

"It made me want to slice him down right then and there—such an unsettling feeling."

Jin, standing beside Kaido with his arms crossed, said.

He still preferred the old Jack.

"Ulalalala, monsters should act like monsters. It doesn’t matter," Kaido dismissed the thought, but what Jack did next surprised him.

Jack had earned the right to be an All-Star, but he wasn’t stopping there.

"Is Lord Jack really going to keep challenging people? And now he's targeting Lord Jin, second only to Kaido himself!"

"This is crazy! If I die today after seeing this, I’ll die satisfied!"

The announcer wore a crazed grin, clearly excited for the epic battle to come.

No one expected the strongest All-Star, Jin, to step in.

"Ulalalala, Jin, go test the kid!"

"You can't gauge anything just by watching him fight the Flying Six. Try him out yourself and see what new power he’s gained."

Kaido laughed again, ordering Jin to fight.

Jack's body had grown larger, and his strength had increased.

As for anything else, there wasn’t much change.

Kaido wanted to see what gave Jack the confidence to challenge Jin.

"Alright!"

Jin’s wings spread wide, and he flew to the center of the arena.

Jack sneered, scanning Jin’s body, clearly searching for a weak spot.

"Jack, you’ve gotten stronger since you returned from Dressrosa!"

"That’s good—now, as an All-Star, you can help Kaido more."

"And from now on, leave Wano's affairs to others—you won’t need to go there anymore."

Jin spoke like a superior handing out orders, arranging Jack’s future tasks.

Jack frowned. He had been Jin’s right-hand man before, but back then, he simply couldn’t defeat him.

Jin’s power was terrifying, something Jack couldn’t compete with.

But now things were different.

He had gained new strength.

"If being an All-Star is all I get, I won’t be satisfied so easily!"

(End of chapter)