IW: Chapter 185 - Mihawk, Issho Joins, Hancock: That Day I Met My Angel!
"What do you think?"
Bai Ye didn't directly answer Issho's question; for him, he couldn't answer it well no matter what.
Did he want to become the new Celestial Dragon?
He did not.
But once he took that step, everyone would acclaim him, pushing him into that position, and this seemed to be a cycle.
Nobles can never disappear.
Just like his current pirate crew, once they succeed, wouldn't Kaido and the others inevitably become one of the new 'Twenty Kings'?
"I do not know."
Issho's face was calm; he didn't know if Bai Ye would, as many things are not set in stone.
Besides, he was just a passerby at a tavern; would he force his will on others?
"You don't seem like a pirate."
Issho lowered his head and took a sip of wine. Although he didn't get an answer, or rather, there was no answer at all, from the beginning, he had noticed that Bai Ye seemed completely different from the pirates he knew.
Pirates are greedy and ambitious, but he didn't feel that from Bai Ye, that kind of ambition etched into the bones; he could sense it.
"I never said I was a pirate. I just went to sea, and then I was labeled a pirate and had a bounty placed on me. To the World Government and the Marines, I'm a pirate, but compared to others, I'm a savior."
It was just a matter of different perspectives. No one ever stipulated that pirates must be greedy or commit heinous acts.
And the so-called pirate was merely a label imposed on him by the World Government.
"That's right, all the information I have about you is from newspapers."
Issho nodded in agreement.
All the news he had about Bai Ye came from word of mouth.
And in the newspapers, there were many 'misdeeds' attributed to Bai Ye.
But after truly meeting him, he found that he didn't seem to be what he had understood.
"But if you overthrow the Celestial Dragons, how do you plan to deal with the current pirates?"
Issho continued to ask.
He didn't dwell on whether Bai Ye would become the new Celestial Dragon; this matter was still undecided.
Who knew if he could succeed?
The World Government has stood for eight hundred years, so there must be a reason for it.
And in his opinion, there were many reasons for the current era, but the two most important points were the Celestial Dragons and the pirates.
The Celestial Dragons were scum, but there were even more scum among the pirates.
He had seen many pirates commit arson, murder, and plunder as soon as they landed on an island, doing all sorts of evil.
"Some pirates are forced to go to sea, but many are for their own desires, committing all sorts of evil. If it were me, I would kill all those pirates and keep those who are truly for adventure."
Ultimately, most pirates in the pirate world are scumbags.
Pirates don't produce, so how do they get food?
They rob.
They rob all kinds of treasures, beautiful women; everything relies on robbery. Most of them are at sea, how could they have money to buy things?
Even those pirates who specifically rob other pirate crews, aren't the treasures these pirates steal also stolen from others or other pirates?
So, pirates are essentially thieves; it's just that the anime beautified them.
"Can you kill them all?"
"You can't kill them all, and you also need to cooperate with policies. Moreover, if all the islands are gathered into one land in the future, there will be no pirates."
At that time, it would be the era of the Mountain King, wouldn't it?
Higuma, this prosperous era is as you wish!
"How can such a great power be accomplished by mortals?"
Issho was shocked by Bai Ye's imagination; he actually wanted to gather all the islands together. And if Bai Ye really managed to do it, then as Bai Ye said, there would be no pirates in this world.
If all islands were together, what would be the point of going out for adventure?
"Five hundred years ago, there was a giant demon named Oars, who liked to carry away the islands he liked. And this can be done, can't it?"
The legend of Oars should still exist.
He would move the islands he liked.
And this is actually very similar to what Joy Boy once wanted to do.
In his letter to Fish-Man Island, he said that he was sorry to Fish-Man Island because he had not fulfilled his previous promise.
And what was Joy Boy's promise?
It was to move Fish-Man Island to the land so that they could also live on land.
But in the end, Joy Boy failed. So, perhaps the Kingdom of D was originally complete, but it was shattered by the island-destroying weapon used by Imu, or perhaps Joy Boy had been transporting islands near the Great Kingdom, but they were later destroyed by Imu and others.
But no matter what, what Joy Boy did also gave Bai Ye an inspiration: he also wanted to gather all the islands together, so there would be no pirates.
"You will completely offend two groups by doing this."
Mihawk added from the side. In his opinion, if Bai Ye really did this, the first group he would offend would be the pirates.
After all, if you gather all the islands together, how will they go out to sea and rob in the future?
Of course, not all pirates will be hostile to Bai Ye, but he will definitely offend many.
The second is the World Government. This is breaking the existing rules, which the World Government absolutely will not allow to happen, so he will directly offend everyone.
The probability of success will be very low.
"But if it succeeds, this world might really change!"
Issho felt that what Bai Ye wanted to do was very difficult to succeed, but if it did, it would definitely be world-changing.
"Changing this world seems pretty cool."
Mihawk looked at Bai Ye, and he also had his own considerations in his heart. He was thinking about whether he should accept Bai Ye's invitation.
Some past bad experiences also made Mihawk somewhat hesitant to trust others.
But he also knew very well that Bai Ye was doing something very meaningful, and if he could complete it together, it would seem even more meaningful. However, before that, he needed to complete one thing.
"I'll join your pirate crew, but before that, I need to fulfill my dream!"
Mihawk looked at Bai Ye seriously. He could accept Bai Ye's invitation and join his pirate crew.
He is someone who is relatively afraid of trouble and usually likes a peaceful life, and Bai Ye can satisfy him: not restricting his freedom, allowing him to leave at will, and also giving him a stable life where he won't be bothered.
In addition, what Bai Ye wanted to do really made Mihawk want to see if he could be the wind that changes the world.
However, before joining, he had to fulfill his dream.
"You can."
Bai Ye was pleasantly surprised and immediately agreed to Mihawk's request.
His dream should be to challenge the strongest swordsmen in the pirate world, right?
He doesn't care who the world's greatest swordsman is; he just wants to challenge all master swordsmen and defeat them!
I have a feeling that when my team appears before the world, everyone will be surprised!
Kaido, Bullet, Mihawk, Kuma—with these four as my vice-captains, I just want to ask, which pirate crew can compare to mine?
Immediately, Bai Ye looked at Issho. If Issho joined, then with this configuration, wouldn't he be able to solo Marineford directly?
"I can feel your emotions fluctuating. Are you trying to invite me to join? I am just a blind man."
Although Issho spoke words of refusal, he was also considering whether to join Bai Ye in his heart.
He really wanted to do it, but he was also somewhat worried about whether Bai Ye would continue to follow his own will as always.
"Blind in the eyes, but not in the heart. You have great strength, why not change this world together?"
"I can go and see, but I'm not joining."
Issho wanted to follow Bai Ye back to his territory to see.
Bai Ye had been missing for so many years, so he should have his own territory, and he would likely implement his policies there.
He couldn't just listen to what Bai Ye said; he had to see how he did it.
"Of course, welcome!"
As long as Issho goes, he doesn't believe Issho won't join. He has invested so much money in Wano Country now; these initial investments have directly revitalized a country with a very large gap between rich and poor.
He even made Oden leave on his own. As long as he goes to Wano Country and sees everything he has done so far, he really won't leave.
Issho is a very individualistic person. He became a Marine only to help more people and also to abolish the Shichibukai system. He is probably the most considerate of ordinary people among the Marines.
One drinking party gained two Admiral-level combat powers. It's just a bit of a shame that the lottery chance hasn't been obtained yet. Is it because they haven't fully joined?
"I'm sorry, Fleet Admiral Kong, I was negligent in this matter. Not only did I let Roger say those words, but in the end, I also let Bai Ye kill Roger and steal Roger's body. I am willing to accept any punishment!"
Marineford.
After the incident in Loguetown ended, Sengoku immediately returned here to prepare for punishment.
Although many pirates were captured at the time, there was no way to make up for his own mistakes.
"The responsibility is mine, Sengoku, you don't need to worry about this matter."
Kong shook his head and had no intention of punishing Sengoku. Bai Ye's appearance indeed broke Kong's expectations.
And now is not the time to assign blame.
He also had responsibility because he misjudged the situation at the time and underestimated that no one would come to save Roger. He also didn't think a captured Pirate King would be of any use, which led to this situation.
"But..."
Sengoku was about to say something else, but Kong immediately interrupted him: "Sengoku, after this incident, I will go to the Holy Land, and you will become the new Fleet Admiral. You cannot have any blemish on your record!"
Although Kong had refused several times before, he also knew very well that the time for his promotion was approaching.
He was about to finish all matters concerning the Marines, then pave the way for Sengoku, and finally, he could rest assured to be promoted.
"Oh, Sengoku, you really can't be blamed for this. It's not that easy to catch that bastard Bai Ye with his abilities!"
Garp comforted him from the side. If it was Bai Ye, wasn't this normal?
Given his heaven-defying performance in the God Valley incident last time, Sengoku would have been helpless there too.
"Let's think about the growing number of pirates instead. That guy Bai Ye cannot be viewed from a normal perspective."
Tsuru said faintly, reminding the others.
Now is not the time to consider Bai Ye's problem.
The pirate frenzy ignited by Roger will definitely give the Marines a huge headache.
"That bastard Roger must have planned this long ago!"
A hint of ruthlessness flashed across Sakazuki's face; he hadn't expected the Marines to be outmaneuvered by Roger in this situation. That guy clearly surrendered on purpose, using this opportunity to sacrifice his life and kick off the Great Pirate Era.
"Send more Marines, and everyone, please work harder recently."
It's impossible to curb it now. Kong can only hope that they work harder to capture pirates during this period, which might eventually reduce the rampant situation.
Hearing Kong's order, everyone agreed, even the usually easygoing Garp. However, Borsalino was secretly complaining endlessly.
What kind of situation is this!?
He just wants to clock in and out for work. Why does everyone want him to exert himself!
"It's still the same thing we talked about before; we need information on Bai Ye. If we don't even know his movements, we'll always be passive."
Information!
They always suffered from a lack of information!
Bai Ye's abilities are still a mystery, and they don't know what he plans to do. Currently, they don't even know where his base is.
Right now, Bai Ye is in the dark, while they are in the light.
Coupled with his strange abilities, it's impossible to capture him.
Therefore, the importance of intelligence was highlighted at this moment.
"Undercover?"
Kong knew Tsuru's idea, but there were only a few suitable people for undercover work, and he would feel pained to send out even one of them.
At the same time, whether Bai Ye would accept is also a question, so he was still a bit conflicted about whether to do it.
If it were before, Kong might not have thought so much, but now with the advent of the Great Pirate Era, after Roger's words, it's estimated that even more pirates will appear. With so many pirates, the Marines simply cannot deal with all of them.
"Alas, you..."
Just as Tsuru was about to say something, Kong's Den Den Mushi rang.
Looking at the Den Den Mushi, Kong actually didn't want to answer it, probably expecting to be reprimanded.
"Kong, it seems you Marines have completely messed this up. Don't you have anything to say?"
Saint Jeygarsia Saturn had held it in for several days. After Sengoku returned, they finally called Kong.
Although Kong had explained the situation a long time ago, at that time, they only told Kong to wait and decide later.
Facing this call, Kong also had a headache.
"I'll take responsibility for all of this!"
"Easier said than done!"
Mars Saint said coldly, how could he say such a thing? After causing such a huge impact, just a simple 'he'll take responsibility'?
What can he take responsibility for?
"Kong, this matter is your handling problem, and there will be punishment later. Also, you should come up earlier and hand over your position to Sengoku, but before that, Sengoku needs to complete a mission!"
Pite Saint said faintly, they still needed Sengoku to do something.
"What?"
Kong was also a bit surprised, not expecting it to be dismissed so easily.
Although the Five Elders said they would discuss it later, Kong knew very well that 'later' meant there wouldn't be too much punishment.
"Ohara, we've discovered a ship from Ohara that is studying history, so... you understand, right?"
After speaking, the Five Elders directly hung up the phone. Studying history is a capital crime.
According to CP's investigation, they discovered Ohara's ships studying history and also captured people, so this matter needed the Marines to handle.
Buster Call!
Kong understood now why the Five Elders would say to complete this matter.
Ohara is known as the Island of Scholars, and if the Marines act, even if it's for studying history and other strictly forbidden matters, it will still cause the Marines to face more criticism.
However, listening to the Five Elders, this matter must be done by them.
"This is really troublesome. Ohara must be destroyed, otherwise, if they continue to research like this, it will be very disadvantageous for us!"
Warcury Saint said faintly.
Roger's actions not only caused the Great Pirate Era to erupt, but also, to reach the Final Island, one must be able to understand the historical texts. Ohara is a place that must be dealt with.
Moreover, they have already started studying history, which is something they cannot tolerate.
"It is indeed troublesome. That bastard Roger really caused us such a huge problem before he died!"
Saint Jeygarsia Saturn nodded. If it weren't for Roger, the rampant piracy would definitely have been suppressed by this execution, and that's what they wanted.
The reason they didn't really prepare to punish the Marines this time was because they also saw that the Marines would still be needed for upcoming matters.
Moreover, the current situation of the Marines might not be able to suppress it.
"First, destroy Ohara, then fully target Bai Ye?"
"But we don't have any information on him."
This is indeed what they most urgently want to do right now.
But wanting to do it is one thing; if they don't even have information on the target, how can they target him?
"Later, we will focus all our energy on Bai Ye, and then let CP search worldwide. I don't believe he can hide forever!"
Although there is currently no way to target Bai Ye, they can still find Bai Ye!
Moreover, Bai Ye has been very active outside recently, which indicates that Bai Ye seems to have made some preparations. They can completely follow this lead to find Bai Ye.
However, before that, they also need to prepare for the Ohara matter in advance.
Ohara doesn't have many strong individuals, so they are not worried about unexpected incidents. They are worried about any remnants of Ohara escaping.
As long as all the scholars of Ohara are dead, and no one knows the ancient script, then no one will know the secret of the Final Island.
"Mr. Bai Ye, are we there yet?"
"Almost. I just don't understand why you insist on going by boat?"
Bai Ye was speechless. He had already said he would use Kamui to take Issho there.
But he kept refusing, insisting on going by boat. In Loguetown, Mihawk parted ways with Bai Ye for his dream, while Issho followed Bai Ye, preparing to visit Wano Country.
Listening to Bai Ye's words, Issho pursed his lips: "I want to understand you more, Mr. Bai Ye."
Along the way, he kept chatting with Bai Ye about various things, hoping to gain a deeper understanding of Bai Ye's thoughts.
After further contact, he also understood that Bai Ye was indeed consistent in his words and actions.
Besides, life isn't about reaching the destination all at once; the scenery along the way is what truly matters.
"Alright, but Issho, I think you shouldn't understand me too much!"
"Why?"
Issho asked curiously.
"Because I don't really like being understood too much by men!"
"So that's it!"
Issho nodded earnestly. Although he was a bit surprised, thinking about it, he felt it was quite normal.
"Actually, I don't like men either!"
How can you say that with such a straight face?
Bai Ye inwardly complained. He just said he didn't really like being understood too much by men.
Come to think of it, it does seem to mean that, doesn't it?
"Mr. Bai Ye, it seems there's an opportunity ahead for us to lend a helping hand."
"Issho, your Observation Haki is very strong!"
A hint of surprise flashed in Bai Ye's eyes. He had the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, so his Observation Haki was amplified, but Issho didn't. Relying on Observation Haki, he could actually detect the situation from such a long distance.
But thinking about it, it makes sense. The Gravity Fruit can even pull down meteorites from outer space.
If his Observation Haki wasn't strong, it would be impossible to pinpoint them.
"It's normal for a blind person to have some special skills."
If he can't see anything, then his Observation Haki would naturally be stronger, right?
It's quite reasonable for a blind man like him to have strong Observation Haki, isn't it?
"Looks quite interesting."
Bai Ye had already seen the people on that ship with his Observation Haki, especially when he saw the three sisters, he was a bit surprised.
The three sisters on that slave ship seemed to be the Boa Hancock sisters?
As the two and their boat approached the slave ship, the pirates on board glared fiercely at them, also a bit disappointed.
"Damn, only two? And one is so ugly. But there's a good-looking pretty boy, he should sell for a good price!"
From afar, he had just seen Bai Ye and Issho's small boat approaching him.
He thought he had only captured the three sisters this time, and it would be perfect to capture these people too and sell them. But only two people came.
However, it was still an extra gain. Plus, the three sisters were very good-looking, and with this pretty boy, it would be a considerable income.
"B-boss, maybe we should just leave?"
"Leave?! I'm Bloody Hand John! Get the ship closer!"
The man snarled, he would run?
What a joke!
"But Boss, that guy is an enemy of God... Bai Ye!"
The subordinate was almost crying!
Damn it, if you want to die, don't drag us along!
Was that guy someone they could capture?
"Who?! Who the hell did you say?!"
Bloody Hand John's eyes widened. He looked at the approaching figures and swallowed hard, just as he was about to explain something, several bolts of lightning struck him, turning him to ashes.
Bai Ye wouldn't waste words on such people.
He was now more curious about the three little girls on the ship.
Opening the dim cell, a ray of light shone into her eyes. Boa Hancock instinctively squinted; she had forgotten how many days it had been since she last saw sunlight.
Ever since she was captured and brought onto the ship, she struggled, but ultimately, she despaired.
Because she simply couldn't escape, and hearing those people say they would sell them for a good price, she felt even more regret.
If it weren't for her, her two younger sisters wouldn't have suffered such a fate.
"It's alright, you've been saved!"
In her ear, that gentle voice. Boa Hancock looked through the light at the person in front of her; she felt as if she had seen an angel.
....
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