"What a monstrous physique. Since you're awake, let's talk."
As soon as Frost and the others left, Rosinante spoke to Jack, who lay motionless nearby.
In just a short while, Jack had already regained consciousness. However, he had been pretending otherwise, lying still as if he hadn't woken up. But Rosinante's Observation Haki made it impossible for him to hide—he could sense Jack's state with absolute clarity.
"There's nothing to talk about. If you're going to kill me, just do it," Jack said coldly.
The moment Rosinante spoke, Jack knew that his deception had been seen through.
"Is that so? Are you really willing to die just like this?"
Rosinante's voice was calm, but his words cut deep.
"To die here, when the Great Pirate Era has just begun? To vanish before your name has even shaken the world? Are you truly content with that?"
Jack was destined to become a pirate worth one billion berries—an unstoppable force of destruction. But what intrigued Rosinante the most wasn't Jack's raw strength; it was his will. And because of that, a thought had taken root—he wanted to recruit him.
"Destruction. As long as I can destroy, as long as I can bring ruin, that's all that matters to me. But since I lost, my journey ends here. I have no regrets. Strength decides everything."
"Destruction, huh? Looks like you've had a tragic past." Rosinante studied him, his golden eyes piercing through the man before him. "You must hate this world. You must hate the World Government, don't you?"
Jack's eyes flickered, but he remained silent.
"Well, as it happens, I'm not particularly fond of this world either. And I have a deep… dissatisfaction with the World Government. Especially the Celestial Dragons."
Jack's eyes darkened slightly.
"Swear your loyalty to me, Jack," Rosinante continued, his voice unwavering. "From now on, when I need something destroyed, you will be the one to do it. That way, you can continue your path of destruction."
Jack studied him carefully, his gaze unreadable. Then, after a long silence, he sneered.
"You think you can make me submit?" He bared his teeth in a grin filled with defiance. "Careful, or I might just destroy you too."
"Then try," Rosinante said flatly.
Without another word, he stepped forward, closing the distance between them in an instant.
Jack tensed, but his injuries left him powerless to resist. Rosinante pressed a hand against his chest, and suddenly, an eerie force surged from his palm, flooding into Jack's body.
A terrible premonition struck Jack. He tried to move, to struggle—but the damage he had sustained was too great. He couldn't break free.
Then, as quickly as it had begun, Rosinante withdrew his hand. A strange rune had appeared on Jack's chest, glowing faintly before settling into his skin.
At that moment, Jack's wounds began healing at an unnatural speed.
His shattered bones realigned. His torn flesh mended itself.
Jack sat up, testing his body. His injuries—so severe that survival should've been impossible—were gone, as if they had never existed.
He turned to Rosinante, his expression unreadable.
"This is the Seal of Silence," Rosinante explained. "I ate the Silent-Silent Fruit. It allows me to silence sound—but that's not all. I can also silence forces like gravity, friction… even Devil Fruit abilities. What I just placed on you is a sealing technique I developed."
Jack said nothing, but his fists clenched.
"This seal doesn't grant you any new powers. It has only one function—it silences your wounds. From now on, as long as you still have stamina, this seal will continuously suppress your injuries, preventing them from affecting you."
Rosinante's golden eyes gleamed in the dim light.
"In other words, Jack… as long as you aren't killed in a single blow… as long as you have the strength to keep going… you are an immortal beast."
Jack's breathing slowed. But his instincts warned him—this wasn't a gift given freely.
"…There's a catch, isn't there?" he asked.
Rosinante smirked.
"Of course there is. These injuries haven't disappeared. They're only sealed away." He raised a hand, and suddenly, the rune on Jack's chest began to glow once more.
The moment it did—
A storm of agony ripped through Jack's body.
Every wound, every shattered bone, every drop of pain that had been sealed away—burst forth all at once.
Even Jack, who had always treated pain as nothing more than an afterthought, found himself collapsing, his massive frame convulsing on the floor. A guttural, ragged snarl tore from his throat as he clawed at the ground, the sheer intensity of the pain threatening to consume him.
Rosinante watched impassively.
"If the seal is ever undone," he said, "then every wound you've accumulated—every single injury you thought was gone—will return in an instant."
Jack's vision blurred.
That kind of pain…
It was beyond anything he had ever known.
"Right now, it's not too bad. The seal was placed only recently, so the accumulated wounds are still within your tolerance.
But if this seal remains for a long time, those injuries will keep piling up. If years' worth of accumulated wounds explode inside you at once, not even your monstrous body will survive.
And this seal is completely under my control. From this moment on, your life is in my hands."* Rosinante said.
The Silent Seal, also known as the Healing Seal, was an ability that had saved Rosinante's life multiple times.
Inspired by Bartholomew Kuma, Rosinante had developed the ability to silence injuries. However, using it mid-battle was impractical—he couldn't afford to divide his focus while fighting at full strength. Even a moment's distraction could mean defeat.
Devil Fruits, especially Paramecia-type ones, were powers governed by laws. Through constant experimentation and study, Rosinante had finally developed a technique capable of sealing injuries.
This Healing Seal automatically absorbed stamina to maintain itself. Whenever the body suffered damage, the seal would instantly silence the injury.
Whether in battle or regular training, minor injuries were inevitable. But this Healing Seal would suppress them all.
Unlike Jack, however, Rosinante regularly released his own seals little by little. Minor wounds weren't a problem for him—on the contrary, they strengthened his body. So for him, this ability had no drawbacks.
But Jack was different. If Rosinante ever released his seal all at once, all the accumulated injuries from battles and training would erupt simultaneously. Not even a god could save him then.
Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the rune flickered and tightened again. The pain vanished. The injuries sealed once more.
Jack lay gasping, his massive chest rising and falling. His forehead dripped with sweat.
The wounds were gone again. But the memory of that agony… lingered.
Even someone with Jack's monstrous endurance felt a chill.
Just now, his wounds had erupted all at once—like Rosinante had landed hundreds of devastating blows on him in a single instant.
For someone who was ruthless to his enemies and even more ruthless to himself, even Jack found it unbearable.
"Do you understand now?" Rosinante asked, his voice calm. "As long as the seal remains intact, you will never die. But if it is ever broken—"
"You'll kill me with my own injuries," Jack muttered hoarsely.
Rosinante smiled.
"Exactly."
Jack let out a ragged breath.
"…And you think this will be enough to control me?"
Rosinante shrugged.
"Until you find a way to break the Seal of Silence, you have no choice. Because you don't want to die, do you?" His gaze sharpened. "Not yet. Not until you've torn this world apart."
Jack was silent for a long time.
Finally, he exhaled slowly.
"You're right. I'm not ready to die." His lips curled into a feral grin. "But you'd better watch yourself, Rosinante. If I ever break free of this seal… I'll destroy you too."
Rosinante only laughed.
"I look forward to it."
Then, without missing a beat, he turned.
"Jack, I have a task for you."
Jack's eyes narrowed.
"Take your crew," Rosinante said, "and hunt down the nobles and royals who fled from the Kingdom of Joromia." His voice was indifferent, almost bored. "I don't want to see them in this world ever again."
Jack grinned.
"I'll rip their heads off myself."
A short while later, Frost entered the room.
"Take Jack to his crew," Rosinante instructed. "From now on, the Mammoth Pirates will form the first National Defense Fleet of the Kingdom of Joromia."
Frost froze.
He stared at Rosinante, stunned beyond belief.
Jack—one of the most brutal, monstrous pirates he had ever seen—was now part of their kingdom's defense force?
Rosinante had actually managed to subjugate a beast like him?
"Is there a problem?" Rosinante asked lazily.
Frost swallowed.
"…No. No problem at all."
He understood—New World was in chaos. Countless powerful pirates were flooding in. The Royal Guard alone was no longer enough to protect Joromia. Even if they had repelled Jack today, another great pirate would come tomorrow.
And while others might not be as monstrous as the Mammoth Pirates, they would still be formidable threats.
If Jack and his crew became Joromia's Royal Guard Fleet, it would be a tremendous advantage.
Yet Frost had one lingering concern—
Could such a ruthless pirate like Jack really be trusted?
What if he turned on them?
Pirates weren't exactly known for keeping their promises.