"Ashole! Of course, I washed my hands!"
Garp pretended to be angry, but after messing around for a bit, he suddenly nudged Sengoku with his elbow.
"So? Feeling any better?"
Then, with a mischievous grin, he added, "If you really don't want to sit back and take this, I can go with you to ambush Kaido and his crew. We hit them hard and run before they know what happened."
"Don't."
Sengoku immediately grabbed Garp's sleeve, looking deadly serious. "The World Government has given strict orders this time. Don't make trouble."
"If you and I go, my position as Fleet Admiral will be finished."
"As for you… well, you might as well join the Revolutionary Army and accompany your son."
The moment the words left his mouth, Sengoku realized he had stepped on a landmine.
All the high-ranking Marines knew about Dragon.
It was rumored that the God Knights had wiped out the Revolutionary Army's headquarters, and Dragon had been missing for half a year. Odds were, things had ended badly.
The mood changed instantly.
Now, it was Sengoku's turn to comfort Garp.
…
A month and a half had passed since Kaido and Big Mom declared war on Lynch.
Their million-strong coalition had successfully crossed Fish-Man Island, entering the first half of the Grand Line from the New World.
The entire sea was in a state of panic.
…
Time flew like an arrow, and the days passed in a blur.
Sea Circle Calendar 1518, January 1.
Only three days remained before the pirate coalition would reach Reverse Mountain—beyond it lay West Blue.
The entire sea buzzed with talk of war. Everyone had an opinion.
Sabaody Archipelago
"Hey, have you heard? The Four Emperors, Kaido and Big Mom, actually formed an alliance to attack the ruler of West Blue!"
Inside a tavern, weary workers took refreshing sips of cold beer, eager to chat after a long day.
"Hahaha, you just found out? That news is ancient!" A burst of laughter filled the room.
"Shut up, you bastards. I work my ass off every day just to make money and pay off debts. How the hell am I supposed to keep up with world affairs?"
Despite his complaints, the man's curiosity burned. He couldn't resist gossip.
"Alright then, tell me who do you think will win?"
The tavern fell silent for a moment. Then, it erupted like a boiling pot.
"Do you even need to ask? Of course, the Four Emperors! When Kaido and Big Mom were already ruling the seas, Lynch was probably still drinking milk from his mother's arms, hahaha!"
An older man, full of confidence in Kaido, spoke up.
He had lived through the Rocks era and knew firsthand just how terrifying Kaido and Big Mom truly were.
Lynch had only been famous for a few years—it was as if he had appeared out of nowhere. How could he possibly compare to legends like Kaido and Big Mom?
"Hey, hey, what's wrong with being young?"
Several younger patrons immediately jumped in to defend Lynch.
"Old man, haven't you heard? The waves of the new era always push the old ones onto the shore!"
"Emperor of West Blue used to be a Marine Admiral! He's captured these pirates before!"
"That's right! I think Lynch will win too." Even the tavern owner's wife couldn't help but chime in.
"Tsk, typical woman's opinion. You're getting it wrong," a scholarly-looking young man adjusted his glasses and began analyzing.
"In terms of top combat power, we have One King, Four Emperors, and the Shichibukai. The Four Emperors are on the same level as the King. No matter how strong Lynch is, he can't possibly fight two Emperors at once, right?"
"Now, look at mid-level and lower-tier forces. Kaido and Big Mom have been ruling the seas for forty to fifty years. Their armies are deeply rooted."
"Lynch, on the other hand, has had only ten years to build his power. If he still insists on fighting both Emperors head-on, he has zero chance of winning."
Having finished his explanation, the man sat back in his seat with a smug look, confident in his reasoning.
The bespectacled man's words left the crowd stunned. The once lively tavern fell into silence as people started to believe his reasoning.
After all, they were just ordinary folks. They didn't know much about grand battles or world affairs.
"Whatever you say, man. We're not here to argue."
But this attitude was unbearable for a certain group the rich young ladies of Sabaody Archipelago.
They were die-hard Lynch fans.
Coming from wealthy families, they didn't have to work.
Their daily routine revolved around eating, drinking, partying, and, most importantly, fangirling over Lynch.
In truth, Lynch had countless fans worldwide.
Much like Cavendish in the future, Lynch's hansome appearance made every wanted poster feel like a promotional poster.
In fact, his early bounty posters were so popular on the black market that they sold for millions of Berries.
So, when they heard someone badmouthing their idol, these noble young ladies threw their refinement aside.
They stood up, pointed at the bespectacled man, and snapped.
"Bah! Nerd! How dare you slander my brother?!"
"What do you even know, bookworm? One King, Four Emperors, Shichibukai means my brother can fight all Four Emperors AND the Seven Warlords at once!"
"Exactly! So what if he started later? No one in history has risen like my brother! Even ten Kaidos put together wouldn't match a single strand of his hair!"
The bespectacled man stammered, "Y-you… you're just twisting words to fit your argument!"
The bespectacled man's face turned red as he stammered, overwhelmed by the fierce defense of Lynch from the cute yet sharp-tongued rich girls.
Outside the tavern, Rayleigh happened to overhear the commotion. He couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head before walking away.
"I hope Brother Lynch can pull through this."
....
Fish-Man Island
"Uuuuuu~ Mother, is Lynch going to die?"
A grown-up Shirahoshi lay in Princess Otohime's arms, her pink nose twitching and her big eyes red from crying.
Ever since she saw Kaido and Big Mom's million-strong army passing through Fish-Man Island, she had been terrified.
Now, she cried almost every day, worrying about Mr. Lynch, who was far away.
"Sweetheart, how many times do I have to tell you?"
At 2.2 meters tall, Princess Otohime gently stroked her 8-meter-tall daughter's head.
"Your Mr. Lynch isn't an ordinary person. He'll be fine."
"But…but I still can't help worrying about him."
Compared to this heartwarming mother-daughter moment, the three Shark Star brothers nearby were experiencing something far less pleasant.
"Ahhh! Father, stop hitting us! We were wrong! We'll never try to kidnap Shyarly again!"
Like three giant loaches, the brothers rolled around on the ground, getting beaten with a trident by their furious father, King Neptune.
Meanwhile, Shyarly, the mermaid prophet, stood to the side, watching the chaos with a mix of laughter and tears.
At Shyarly's feet lay a pile of rope, anesthetics, and a tranquilizer gun—all evidence of the three brothers' latest failed attempt.
Seven years.
It had been seven whole years since Lynch casually mentioned it, and yet, the Mermaid brothers had never given up on their mission kidnapping Shyarly and sending her to West Blue so she could learn real skills from Lynch.
They had attempted it hundreds of times, but never once succeeded.
This time, they had been caught red-handed by their father, Neptune, who seized both the culprits and the stolen goods.
"No, Father, listen to us!"
"What if Boss Lynch dies this time? We just wanted him to see Miss Shyarly before that happens!"
"You still dare to argue?!"
"I'll teach you not to jinx things!"
Neptune swung his trident harder, and the three brothers let out miserable screams as they rolled around under the beating.
.
.
TO BE CONTINUED
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