One Piece: My Name is Jack, I'm Very Resistant to Beating

Jack stepped into the next room to find a group of burly men gathered, guzzling down drinks in unison, their throats moving rhythmically with each gulp.

Nearby, several oddly dressed men and women were deep in conversation with Black Maria. Sitting beside her was Yamato, devouring food as if it was her last meal.

The burly men were among the few officers of the Beast Pirates, while the ones seated with Black Maria belonged to Orochi's Oniwabanshu, his personal guard. Their leader, Fukurokuju, was the tall, inscrutable man who never left Orochi's side—the one you'd feel compelled to censor in photos.

When Jack entered, no one so much as glanced in his direction. Only Black Maria spared him a dismissive eye-roll.

Jack, who had yet to earn his stripes within the Beast Pirates, held a rank higher than the brutes drinking in the room, but he clearly commanded no respect. Had it been King or Queen who walked in, everyone would have been on their feet immediately.

Jack didn't mind, though. He knew his current strength left much to be desired, and it was only natural that others looked down on him.

"Just wait," he thought, suppressing his frustration. "When I'm older and stronger, no one will dare treat me like this. One swing of my trunk will have them begging for mercy."

Grinning to himself, Jack squeezed into the seat between Yamato and Black Maria and joined the feast. Across from him, the Oniwabanshu paid no mind to his crude eating habits. Though the Fire Festival was meant to deepen bonds between the two factions, only the lowest-ranking members or the leaders, Kaido and Orochi, seemed to care. Relations between their mid-tier officers were lukewarm at best.

It wasn't surprising—there weren't many officers to begin with. You could count them on two hands. The alliance between Kaido and Orochi wasn't built on camaraderie but mutual necessity. Without it, the samurai of Wano would have crushed them both.

Kaido and Queen had spent months capturing samurai and throwing them into the factories, leading to several large-scale skirmishes. This alone proved how formidable Kozuki Oden had been. To end up betrayed, left with only nine loyal retainers, and see his family destroyed... Oden had no one to blame but himself.

Though those Nine Red Scabbards were strong—earning the title of "Akazaya Nine"—they had chosen the wrong leader to follow.

Jack, spending most of his time on Onigashima, still managed to pick up snippets of news from passing pirates. Kaido and Orochi's brutal rule over Wano didn't sit well with him, but he understood his position. He was too young and too weak to have an opinion that mattered. Surviving in this world was hard enough.

Kaido valued Jack highly, but Jack knew better than to let it go to his head. If he got too arrogant, Kaido's kanabo would come down on him without hesitation. After all, the Beast Pirates were a crew of ruthless killers. Even Jack had lost count of how many lives he'd taken.

Meanwhile, Black Maria was charming her way through her conversation, her poise highlighting the contrast between her and Jack's and Yamato's gluttony. Yamato, attending her first Fire Festival since it moved to Onigashima, was outdoing herself. No matter how many plates the crew brought out, she devoured them all, leaving Black Maria and the others stunned.

Finally, after polishing off the last of the food, Yamato patted her now-ballooned stomach.

"Ah, I'm full!" she exclaimed, content.

"Hey, Jack, come play with me!"

Jack frowned. "How many times do I have to tell you? It's Jack the Stud!"

Yamato didn't care. She dragged Jack along, and he managed to snag a plate of ribs on his way out. Black Maria chuckled behind her hand as the others stared in disbelief.

"They're still just kids," she said with an indulgent smile.

"...Yeah, we get it," someone muttered, dazed.

"But aren't you a kid too?" someone else asked. "Shouldn't you be growing too? Here, why don't you take this plate?"

The Fire Festival lasted three days and nights, after which Orochi and his entourage returned to the mainland. Queen, who had barely seen Jack recently, gave him a quick check-up before rushing back to Udon Prison, where his presence was still sorely needed.

During the festivities, Kaido decided to challenge Yamato to a drinking contest. Sitting between Black Maria and Yamato, Jack watched in disbelief as the two went barrel-for-barrel.

"Kaido-sama, you're unbelievable!" Jack thought. "Yamato's only eight! Do you even know what alcohol poisoning is?! You're not drinking like pirates, you're drinking like donkeys!"

Jack's concerns weren't misplaced. Kaido's drunken temper was infamous, and Jack doubted Yamato would be any better. If the two got into a fight while drunk, the aftermath would be catastrophic.

But to Jack's relief, Yamato managed to derail Kaido's drinking with one simple comment.

"Hey, Dad! You know, Jack's really strong!"

Kaido raised an eyebrow as Yamato continued.

"No matter how much we fight back, his trunk always hits us!"

Jack froze as Kaido's expression darkened.

"Yeah," Black Maria chimed in, her timing impeccable. "Jack doesn't hold back. He even spanked Yamato so hard her butt was swollen for days."

Kaido set his drink down and cracked his knuckles.

"Jack!" he roared. "Let's see how strong you've gotten!"

"No, no, no, Kaido-sama! I wouldn't dare spar with you!" Jack stammered. "Even King can toy with me, let alone you! How about I make you something to eat instead?"

"Quit whining!" Kaido barked. "Show some backbone! Prove you're a man!"

Jack sighed. There was no escaping this beating. But then, an idea struck him.

"Kaido-sama," Jack said, forcing a smile, "this room's too small. Let's head to the port. That way, I can go all out and really show you my progress!"

Kaido grinned. "Fine by me. Let's see what you're made of!"

Jack smirked internally. "This could work in my favor. Even if I lose, maybe I'll score some haki training or a cool weapon. Who knows? Maybe I'll awaken Conqueror's Haki. Time to cash in on this opportunity!"

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