Chapter 29: Poor Rock

Even now that he had wretchedly transformed into a woman, Rock was "captured" by the world's most beautiful woman the moment he laid eyes on Hancock.

Yet, he was immediately engulfed by the agony of having lost his manhood. What did it matter how beautiful she was if he could look but never touch?

Even more tragic was the realization that he might be the one getting "eaten" in the future. Even without seeing his current appearance, he could imagine how many men, just as disgusting as his former self, would go crazy over her devilishly seductive figure.

Rock suddenly noticed that Hancock was pressed closely against Borsalino. It was not hard to imagine just how intimate this pair of wretches had been.

Endless jealousy threatened to consume Rock!

Why was it that this wretched man could enjoy such a peerless beauty before he himself had been turned into a woman? He, on the other hand, had been beaten like a stray dog, dragged to this island, and nearly kicked to death!

"Hahaha! You'll become a woman too! Sooner or later, you'll become a woman too!"

Driven by the fury of his tragic fate, the resentment of losing his manhood, and his jealousy toward Borsalino, Rock glared at him, desperate to see this former member of his own kind become a woman just like her.

Boundless regret nearly drowned her. If she had known she would turn into a woman, she would have done anything to spend ten days and nights as a real man in the Pleasure District before it happened!

No! If she had known she would be captured and brought to Amazon Lily to be turned into a woman, she would never have gone near the Calm Belt, even if it meant death.

If only she hadn't been so picky when raiding towns last month—what did it matter if a village girl weighed over two hundred pounds? With the lights off, they were all the same!

"Did you lay a hand on her?"

While Borsalino's Observation Haki was top-tier, he did not possess the special ability to hear inner thoughts. Watching the raving, deranged Rock, Borsalino was somewhat speechless. It was just losing his manhood and becoming a woman—was it really worth such a breakdown?

"No, she has been locked here since she lost consciousness; no one has touched her," the Amazon guard responsible for the cell replied quickly.

This creature was a prisoner of Lord Borsalino; unless Hancock gave a direct order, no one dared to go near her.

"...That’s strange. Was that kick really so heavy?" Borsalino wondered if he had been too exhausted last night, leading him to miscalculate the force of his blow.

"Let me out! I am willing to surrender and join you, as long as you let me be the one responsible for capturing other men!"

Rock was, after all, a great pirate who had roamed the Grand Line. By now, he had managed to calm down, his beautiful face set in a cold, icy expression.

She would take revenge on this damned world and turn every man into a woman!

The people outside the cell looked at one another. Even the dullest among them realized that this person’s brain was likely broken. Borsalino couldn't help but scratch his head; he suspected he knew what the misunderstanding was.

"Look, the reason you turned into a woman is actually because of a certain Devil Fruit ability."

For the sake of their shared past as men, Borsalino kindly explained the cause and effect.

"Change me back! Hurry and change me back! Otherwise, I’ll kill you!"

A crazed Rock slammed against the cell door, but with Seastone handcuffs on, she was far too weak to break through.

"It’s not impossible to change you back, but you must first answer a question: can you inflict damage on your enemies through their blood?"

Borsalino asked with great seriousness. The user of the Blood-Blood Fruit he had encountered previously had left a deep impression on him.

That ability, which allowed one to inflict damage from a distance without even needing to meet the enemy, was essentially a death sentence for anyone who bled—unless they were a Logia-type user or someone with an impossibly tough constitution like Kaido of the Beasts.

Of course, the ability was not without its flaws.

First, the user of the Blood-Blood Fruit would suffer the same level of damage they inflicted.

Second, once targeted, the effect could be ended simply by killing the user; damage from others could not be reflected back onto the person who was struck.

In other words, this move was strictly effective only against Paramecia-type users and non-users. After all, no matter how strong the Blood-Blood Fruit's survival capabilities were, they could not compete with a Zoan-type's raw vitality.

"You bastard! How could that be! If the Blood-Blood Fruit had such an ability... no, I suppose it really is possible! But I certainly couldn't do it right now!"

Rock was irritable. If he wanted to know about the fruit's ability, why couldn't he have just asked? Did he have to capture her and turn her into a woman first?

Even knowing she could never be a match for these bastards, Rock swore to herself that she would settle the score with these hags sooner or later!

Except for that tall man...

On one hand, Rock recognized that Borsalino was the one who had kicked him. Even in his prime, Rock didn't believe he could have dodged or blocked that blow.

On the other hand, he was genuinely afraid of Borsalino. The ability to turn a man into a woman was simply absurd. How could such a vicious Devil Fruit exist in this world?

"Hmm? You can't? I see... such an ability likely requires the Blood-Blood Fruit to be awakened... In that case, you shall remain with the Kuja Pirates for now."

Borsalino thought for a moment; as long as this guy wanted to become a man again, he couldn't betray them. Besides, there might be a chance to obtain a means of enslavement from the chat group in the future; in his memory, the world of *Swallowed Star* had such things.

In a sense, that dead okama's gender-swap injection had been quite helpful; otherwise, Borsalino couldn't guarantee he would have managed to secure the Blood-Blood Fruit.

"Are you joking! I am a man!" Rock shouted angrily.

If his old friends and enemies found out that 'Blood Ghost' Rock had become a woman and joined the Kuja Pirates, how could he ever show his face on the seas again?

"Men don't have such exaggerated pectoral muscles. Remember to dress more modestly, or don't blame me if you get targeted by perverts."

With that, Borsalino prepared to leave with Hancock. If not for the special ability of the Blood-Blood Fruit, 'Blood Ghost' Rock wouldn't have been worth a second glance.

Regardless, he knew she wouldn't dare to escape. Once her fruit powers awakened, she might just prove useful.

"Bastard! Do you have any idea who I'm backed by? I am part of the Beasts Pirates! If you're not afraid of Kaido of the Beasts coming for you, then go ahead and court death!"

Rock gritted his teeth and roared!

The next moment, Rock was pleasantly surprised to see Borsalino pause.

"Kaido, is it? It was a struggle to capture that guy last time, and he still managed to escape. You should take the chance to ask Kaido if he dares to walk into a trap again."

Borsalino smiled. Back then, Kaido had relied on his thick hide to provoke the Marines constantly, but now, Borsalino's name was a taboo even within the Beasts Pirates.