Chapter 7

• Cain's Father

{ Third Year of the Great Age of Pirates }

While Cain's father was deliberating on a suitable name for his son, the newborn was deep in thought, conflicted about whether he should pretend to act like a normal baby or not.

'I remember in the past that intelligent babies were burned at the stake, accused of being the work of the devil. I don't want to die so early… but maybe this world is different. Perhaps people here are not as barbaric as they were in my previous life,' Cain mused, fearing for his future.

Ultimately, he decided not to hide his intelligence, at least not from his father. He doubted he could bear pretending for long.

"Oi, do you understand what I'm saying?"

The baby stilled, gathering his resolve, and stared directly at his father without fear. Then, he nodded.

Desperate and hopeful that there would be no consequences for his honesty, Cain braced himself. His father's reaction startled him.

Enzo's mouth hung open in shock for a moment. This wasn't natural, not at all. He quickly tested the child, asking a few more questions. Each time, Cain answered by nodding or shaking his head.

Enzo was astonished, to the point of speechlessness. Cain, however, was growing irritated.

"Well, this is surprising," Enzo said at last. "I didn't expect you to be so smart. Lucky for you, I don't care. You're still my son. But let me be clear—if you don't grow powerful by a certain age, I'll kill you without hesitation. Don't stray from your path. Do you understand me?"

Cain froze, stunned by his father's warning, but then grinned. The threat didn't faze him; he already planned to grow strong. With fervent enthusiasm, he nodded so eagerly that he almost looked rabid.

"My name is Ezekiel Eli Enzo. Call me Enzo—or Father, if you feel like it."

{Flashback}

Enzo was born and raised in North Blue. His teenage years were shaped by the devastation of the Rocks Pirates' war against the World Government and Marines, a conflict that left entire regions in ruins.

His parents died during that time, at the hands of a corrupt Marine officer who sought to kidnap Enzo and sell him into slavery. His parents sacrificed themselves in an explosion to take the Marines down, leaving Enzo orphaned and traumatised.

Instead of honouring their memory, Enzo resented them. He hated their weakness and inability to fight back without dying. He swore never to be helpless or sacrifice himself for others. He vowed to become a warrior—one that no one could exploit.

To achieve that goal, he turned to piracy. Traveling solo, he plundered villages when he needed money and challenged powerful opponents to fights. Over time, he grew into a notorious pirate, earning infamy for defeating two top commanders of the Big Mom Pirates—Cracker and Smoothie—in single combat.

Afterward, he narrowly escaped the wrath of Big Mom herself, slipping away before her full forces could arrive. This earned him a bounty of 900 million berries—an impressive sum, though Enzo knew he still fell short of the Yonko's top commanders.

Frustrated by the limits of his strength, Enzo searched for ways to grow stronger but refused to eat a Devil Fruit. He loved the sea too much to give up his freedom and valued his raw, personal strength.

Despite his infamy, Enzo developed an unusual hobby: he enjoyed being pursued. Whether it was the Marines or Big Mom's forces, their futile attempts to capture him amused him to no end.

Eventually, Enzo decided it was time to start a family, not out of love but to raise a child who would surpass him in strength.

During his search for an uninhabited island to settle on, he encountered a runaway slave—a white-furred tiger Mink with electric powers. She had azure eyes, dark black hair, and feline features, including ears, a tail, and a small Neko nose. Despite her animalistic traits, her body was otherwise humanoid, though small and adolescent in appearance.

When Enzo approached, she immediately went on the defensive, her electric claws crackling as she growled, "Stay back!"

Enzo moved faster than she could see, dodging her attack and knocking her out with a single chop to the neck.

The woman woke up later on a small boat, surrounded by the ocean. She immediately spotted the man who had subdued her and glared.

"What do you want from me?" she demanded, her voice laced with anxiety and anger.

Enzo didn't even look at her. "Relax. I just need you to give me a child," he said, his tone calm and unbothered.

The Mink bristled, her claws growing longer as rage took over. She wasn't about to let herself be used again, not after escaping slavery.

Sensing her hostility, Enzo glanced at her. "Calm down. As I said, I only need a child. Once that's done, you can do whatever you want."

"That doesn't make it better! What if I don't want to have a child with you?" she snapped.

"Too bad. You don't have a choice. Why don't you want one?"

"Of course I want kids—just not with you!" she shouted, her frustration evident.

"Then wait. It doesn't have to be now," Enzo replied nonchalantly. "I still need to find a place to settle down and a doctor. In the meantime, do whatever you want. But you will carry my child."

The Mink realised she couldn't escape him and resigned herself to her fate. Despite his motives, she sensed he was honest—he wanted nothing more than a child from her.

After months of searching, Enzo found the perfect island: isolated, with challenging terrain to help raise a strong child. Along the way, he kidnapped a nurse to ensure the pregnancy and birth would be successful.

Present

"By the way," Enzo suddenly said, "the lady who birthed you is dead."

Cain didn't react. He felt nothing for his mother, having never met or bonded with her.

His father smirked. 'Good. He's cold-blooded. Let's hope that doesn't change.'

Enzo glanced at his son. "Since you're not stupid, I'll tell you this. There's a hidden room behind the wardrobe. Go there if you feel like it. Study everything in it and absorb as much knowledge as you can.

"When I think you're ready, you'll start training and fighting. Until then, you're prohibited from doing anything dangerous. Got it?"

Cain nodded, his mind already racing with plans to prepare for the future. He would do whatever it took to survive and surpass his father.