Next Bonus, 100!!
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A Yonko summit?
Queen's words left everyone speechless.
Yasopp let out a hearty laugh. "What's this, a New World Pirate Convention, just like the World Government's Levely?"
Out on the sea, Whitebeard, the Marines, and Big Mom had all ceased their attacks.
"Hm? Why are Kaido and Shanks fighting?" Whitebeard wondered aloud.
Kuzan, Garp, Gion, and the others were just as baffled.
Wasn't Jin here to pick a fight with Red-Hair?
Why was he just watching from the sidelines?
Big Mom cackled. "Mamamama... mamamama... what a gathering! This is enough to shake the entire world!"
On her ship, Perospero, Smoothie, and the others could only stare, dumbfounded. This was a world-class spectacle.
The figures on this stage—Shanks, Kaido, Newgate, Kuzan, Garp, Jin, Big Mom...
Which one of them wasn't a world-renowned figure?
This was, without a doubt, a gathering of the world's most powerful forces.
The other pirate crews, who had been scattered and were now regrouping, were also frozen in awe.
"Red-Hair, Beasts, Whitebeard, Big Mom, the Marines, and the King of Paradise... all in the same frame! This is a once-in-a-century moment!"
"You have to get a picture of this!"
"I bet that news-hound Morgans would pay a fortune for a shot like this..."
Compared to their excitement, the atmosphere among the main players was far more delicate. No one dared to make a move, each side warily watching the others.
The Empress was positioned perfectly between the island and the open sea, an unavoidable focal point in the standoff.
All eyes were on them.
The gazes of the world's strongest, their auras clashing, created a heavy, crushing pressure that made Porche and the others swallow hard.
"What... what is happening?" Carina asked, her voice trembling.
"Yohohoho..." Brook shivered. "I'm scared to death! Though, I'm already dead!"
"It's because the King headed straight for Red-Hair's territory the moment he entered the New World," Robin explained calmly. "It drew the attention of all these different powers. I just got the intel from Reiju but didn't have time to report. This is, more or less, the situation."
Everyone was silent.
Jin, however, remained unfazed.
He'd pretty much figured it out.
"It can't be helped," he said with a sigh. "Our power doesn't allow us to keep a low profile. When you're a star, you shine no matter where you go."
Huh?? Carina stared as he crossed his arms. Is His Majesty... posturing right now?
Brook, however, nodded in solemn agreement. "The King speaks the truth!"
Porche's eyes sparkled. "That's right! We're stars! It's only natural that people would chase after us, right?"
The tense atmosphere lightened in an instant.
I suppose that's one way of looking at it, Robin thought. "So, what's our next move? If this standoff continues, a fight is inevitable."
Jin scanned the horizon. "I suppose I'll have to be the one to step up and mediate this little get-together."
He teleported to the top of the conning tower.
"Ai, open channel 347, full amplification!"
"OK!"
Jin ascended to the highest point of the ship so that everyone could see him. He tapped the microphone.
"Ahem... testing, testing..."
Amplified by the Scream-Scream Fruit, the voice that boomed from the speakers created visible, concentric ripples in the air.
The sea itself vibrated with the sound.
Robin, Carina, and the others, having learned their lesson, had already put on headphones.
The powerful soundwave drew all eyes to him.
"It's... Jin!"
"It's the King!"
"What is he doing?"
The silence of the sea was shattered. A low murmur ran through the assembled crews.
"If I could have everyone's attention," Jin's voice boomed.
"The Four Emperors, the Marines... what a lively party. I know why you're all here. But regardless of your reasons, since you've come all this way... do me a favor."
Do me a favor? Shanks felt a flicker of deja vu. He's using my line.
"What does he mean?"
"What is he trying to say?"
"I have no idea."
The various crews whispered among themselves.
"Gurararara..." Whitebeard chuckled.
"That little brat!" Big Mom sneered.
"He's ridiculously young, and ridiculously bold," Kuzan said, letting out a breath of cold air. "Garp-san, did you teach him Haki?"
Kuzan had graduated from the training base and had studied under Garp for a time, learning his "Iron Fist." Out of respect, he still called him "teacher."
Garp picked his ear. "I did. But I never thought he'd realize his potential so quickly. No... that's not right. He's still growing. That man is a true monster. In the future, he might even surpass all the current Emperors."
He was completely serious.
Since the training at G-3, Garp had been keeping a close eye on Jin, and he had noticed something in his recent battles.
He and the others of his generation had gone through a similar process of growth, drawing strength from every fight, getting stronger and stronger.
A true monster? Surpass the Emperors?
Impossible...
Hearing Garp's assessment, Smoker, Gion, Kuzan, and the other Marines were all stunned.
Was he really that good?
"The sun is setting, gentlemen," Jin's voice echoed across the sea. "Night is falling. You've all come a long way. It's rare for us all to be in one place. Instead of continuing this standoff, why don't you do me a favor? Let's put aside our differences and have a banquet. When the night is over, we all go our separate ways, and pretend this never happened. What do you say? Who's for? Who's against?"
A banquet?
Just let it go?
A heavy silence fell over the assembled fleets.
Everyone knew that they were all in a stalemate, each one holding the others in check.
If a real fight broke out, no one would come out on top. No one could guarantee a victory.
But to agree to this... to give Jin this "favor"... it felt like a loss of face. Everyone here was a major player.
For the Four Emperors, who ruled their territories through strength and reputation, any sign of weakness, any perceived loss, would be an invitation for their rivals to attack.
Face was everything.
Why had Whitebeard walked into a clear trap at the Summit War?
On one hand, Ace was his chosen successor. On the other, the Whitebeard Pirates' code of honor, their creed, was that Whitebeard would never allow any harm to come to his "sons." The Marines' public execution was a direct slap in the face.
If he hadn't gone to save him, their creed would have crumbled. The crew would have lost its core belief, its cohesion. And their enemies, seeing that they were all bark and no bite, would have undoubtedly moved in.
Go or not, the Whitebeard Pirates were in a dire situation. It was a choice between dying sooner or dying later. Better to take the gamble. If they saved Ace, all their problems would be solved. If they failed, at least Whitebeard's honor would be intact, and the will of his crew would live on.
And now, because of face, no one was willing to be the first to speak.
"Hey, brat! Enough with the big talk!" Kaido's voice boomed. "You want me to do you a favor? YOU'LL HAVE TO ASK MY CLUB FIRST!"
He had been itching to teach Jin a lesson.
He hadn't come all this way for Red-Hair. He was here to settle a score with Jin.
What score?
First, the death of Hanafuda. If he hadn't lost an arm, he never would have been defeated by Ace and then killed by some other pirates.
Second, the G-5 incident. The route guarded by G-5 was a critical shipping lane for Kaido and Doflamingo's arms trade. Vergo's replacement had cost them dearly.
And third, the potential competition in the arms market.
Any one of those reasons was enough to piss Kaido off. And besides, he didn't like doing people favors.
Kaido leaped into the air in his half-dragon form. "Raging Fire Bagua!"
"ROOAAR!"
A dragon's roar echoed out. A massive fire dragon materialized, coiling around Kaido's body as he soared through the air.
The divine fire dragon was an awe-inspiring sight, the flames it radiated exceptionally brilliant. The intense heat warped the space around it, melting everything it touched.
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