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"But will he accept?"
"I believe he will. That king has been relentlessly expanding his territory. The title of Warlord would grant him the authority to legally plunder..."
"And besides, we've already given him a great deal of support. This will be a good test of his loyalty."
After some discussion, the Five Elders decided to summon Jin, appointing him to replace the defeated Hanafuda as the newest of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
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The New World.
This chaotic sea, flooded with the "trash" from the Four Blues, was a place of daily slaughter, a constant struggle for fame and fortune.
On a deserted island...
"KILL HIM!"
"He's finished!"
"TAKE HIM DOWN!"
"Hanafuda! Never thought you'd end up in our hands, did you? HAHAHA...!"
A horde of pirates charged forward, their roars echoing across the island.
Gunfire and cannonballs erupted.
"DIE, MONSTER!" a pirate yelled, leaping high into the air and bringing a massive greatsword down on the head of the half-transformed Tyrannosaurus.
"ROOAAR!" Hanafuda bellowed, his head hardening with Armament Haki.
With a loud CRACK, the greatsword shattered.
In the pirate's moment of shock, Hanafuda swiped his claws, and the man was torn into four bloody pieces.
The gruesome scene didn't deter the other pirates. Anyone who made it to the New World was a hardened killer.
"Hanafuda's been stripped of his Warlord title! Your 500 million Berri bounty is ours for the taking!"
More pirates swarmed in, eager to claim his head.
"DAMMIT!" Hanafuda roared at the sky. "DAMN YOU ALL! COME OUT AND FACE ME! FIGHT ME WITH HONOR!"
He knew. He knew the World Government was behind this, that they wanted him erased.
Without a guide from Cipher Pol or the World Government itself, how could these greedy, foolish pirates have known his exact location, the place he had chosen to hide and recover?
But his true enemies remained hidden, using these pawns to humiliate him.
He whipped his dragon tail, and his scythe shot up from the ground, sweeping through the approaching pirates.
A chorus of screams filled the air as bodies were torn asunder, limbs and blood flying in every direction.
"FIRE CANNON!" a pirate yelled, and a jet of thick flame erupted from a flamethrower, an indiscriminate attack that scorched everything in its path.
The flames licked at Hanafuda's wounds, and he roared in agony, collapsing to one knee.
Rocket-propelled grenades slammed into his body, exploding on impact.
"YOUR HEAD IS MINE!" a pirate shouted, leaping onto Hanafuda's back and smashing a Haki-infused fist into his skull, sending him sprawling.
More pirates piled on.
"It's over."
On a ship in the distance, a CP0 agent, clad in a tall, hooded robe, watched with cold indifference.
He didn't think Hanafuda could possibly survive.
He gave the order to depart. Their presence, their identities, could not be exposed. If word got out that the World Government eliminated Warlords who had outlived their usefulness, how would the others react?
Hanafuda's roars echoed across the island. He was still fighting, but it was the desperate struggle of a cornered beast.
Not long after the CP0 agent had left, another ship quietly approached the island from the opposite side.
It was the Red Hair Pirates.
With Shanks away, Benn Beckman was acting as temporary captain.
"Beckman," Yasopp said, "are we really going to save that guy?"
"Hanafuda has always been one of Kaido's men," Lucky Roux added, tearing into a piece of meat. "He's no saint."
"It's what Shanks wants," Beckman replied.
And with that, the discussion was over.
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"A Warlord of the Sea."
At Marine Headquarters, Admiral candidate Gion had personally delivered a letter from the highest authority in the World Government, the Five Elders.
It was a summons for King Jin, appointing him to replace Hanafuda as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
That's right, a summons. Not an inquiry, not a request for his opinion. It was a command. The decision had been made; the letter was a mere formality.
Jin was the king of a member nation. The World Government "summoning" him was, technically, within their rights.
But it was still a shocking development.
Not just Gion, but Sengoku, the three Admirals, Tsuru—the entire Marine high command—were all taken by surprise.
But upon reflection, it made sense.
Although Jin wasn't a pirate, he had defeated a Warlord and had built a formidable power base in Paradise. He had both the strength and the notoriety. In fact, he seemed to be the perfect candidate for the Warlord system.
"Do you accept?" Gion asked.
Jin chuckled. "Since it's a summons, my opinion doesn't really matter, does it?" He could read between the lines of the brief letter. This was a test of his obedience.
'So I've finally caught the attention of the Five Elders...'
He knew that if he refused, they would change their strategy toward him. The many conveniences he currently enjoyed would disappear. As for "Dream" and the attention of the Celestial Dragons... that wouldn't be enough to sway the Five Elders.
There were ranks among the Celestial Dragons. Idiots like Saint Jalmack were at the bottom. The heads of the various families were in the middle. And the Five Elders, the God's Knights, and the others who protected Imu were at the very top. The top could easily control the bottom.
"Another title doesn't really make a difference to me," Jin said casually. "—If they want me to be a Warlord, then I'll be a Warlord."
In truth, putting aside the Five Elders' command, the title of Warlord would be a great help to him. Before, he'd had to be careful when causing trouble in Paradise. With this title, and the legal right to plunder that came with it... Paradise would be his playground.
And besides, of the current Warlords, Crocodile, Hancock, and Jinbe were already working with him. That meant that at any Warlord meeting, he could easily secure four votes. Mihawk and Doflamingo... he knew them as well. That just left one fat homebody. Taking him down wouldn't be hard.
With a little more effort, the Seven Warlords would be his. The entire power structure of Paradise would be under his control. He would be the undisputed King of Paradise.
The Seven Warlords of the Sea... we'll have to discuss who the real king is.
"Good. I'll report to Fleet Admiral Sengoku at once," Gion said, relieved.
Jin's acceptance of the Warlord position would be a great help in stabilizing the current turmoil caused by the successive defeats of other Warlords. It would also reduce the pressure on the Marines. And unlike the other Warlords, he had a clean record. He'd even killed a number of pirates. He was a breath of fresh air.
"Right now?" Jin said, his eyes tracing her powerful form. "We've only just met. Why don't you stay for a drink?"
Gion hesitated for a moment, then smiled. "Alright. I'll just go back to my ship to make my report. I'll be back in a little while."
As she walked toward the port, she glanced at his ship. It looked ordinary, but she had the strange feeling that it was... different. Bigger.
Has the ship... grown?
Is it my imagination? She hadn't paid close attention before. Who pays attention to the size of a ship? It was just a vague impression. A ship can't grow. Impossible.
She must have been seeing things.
She returned to her command room and reported the news of Jin's acceptance. Sengoku was relieved. He then informed the Five Elders. The news would have to be announced, widely reported.
With her official duties out of the way, Gion returned to meet Jin.
As they talked, Jin noticed a change in her. The initial suspicion and hostility were gone, replaced by a warmth, an enthusiasm.
It turned out that Gion was close to Vice Admiral Tsuru, and she had learned the truth about the East Blue gold treasure incident from her. She was deeply impressed by his methods. She, too, enjoyed a bit of "fishing." It was a meeting of like minds.
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