With Logan's arrival, the conflict in the tavern had come to an end. The other patrons seemed unfazed, having long grown used to such sights. After divvying up their gambling winnings, they went back to their drinks as if nothing had happened.
Kaido appeared to be suffering from a "double headache." On one hand, he was dealing with the physical aftermath of a forced, violent sobering-up; on the other, he was wondering how the hell he was going to fix the place.
Logan sat off to the side by himself, glancing at the calendar on the wall. The year 1503 was written clearly.
Thirty-two years...
Logan had arrived in this world in the year 1471 after a fateful encounter with a "Truck-kun" following his departure from an orphanage. He was born in the Fish-Man District of Fish-Man Island. Originally intended as a place to house orphans, it was, in a sense, a return to his "place of origin."
However, due to chaotic management, the Fish-Man District soon became a gathering ground for the island's lawless elements. Of course, its original function wasn't entirely abandoned. Logan grew up struggling and fighting his way through that district. He had renamed himself back then, marking a new beginning.
During those formative years, several residents of the district had helped him significantly. It didn't take long for him to realize exactly what kind of world he was in.
He had a general understanding of the events in the One Piece world, though his knowledge only extended up to the Egghead Arc. Anything beyond that was just fragments of information; he only remembered the broad strokes of the plot.
To survive in this dangerous world, he began learning combat techniques. Years later, he led a group of companions from the Fish-Man District away from Fish-Man Island to make a name for themselves in the outside world.
He wanted to change the status quo—and change it from the root. That meant overthrowing the World Government and ending the rule of the Celestial Dragons. To do that, he needed power.
In these seas, the slave trade was rampant. Even before the Great Pirate Era was ushered in by Roger, Fish-Man Island was a primary target for slavers. Merfolk, in particular, were considered "top-tier goods" in the eyes of traffickers.
After destroying a World Government slave ship, Logan earned his first bounty from the Marines. Now, his bounty had increased many times over since that first posting, and slave traders would develop a massive headache just hearing his name.
"Big Brother Logan, I saw your little princess heading toward the town. Do you want me to go keep an eye on her?"
As Logan was contemplating his next move, a tall, muscular Fish-Man with pale blue skin and bright green patches pushed open the door and walked in.
This was Sebastian. In the original timeline, he was a member of the World Pirates (Bundy World's crew)—a hybrid of a Fish-Man and a Giant. Here, however, he was Logan's subordinate.
This was a natural result of Logan's own race. Because he had arrived in this world as a Fish-Man, other Fish-Men and Merfolk found it easier to trust him. Consequently, his crew was primarily composed of their kind. Sebastian was one of his top executives.
"No need. Bikapanda is with her. Besides, she's just going to see her mother."
Logan seemed at ease. Bikapanda was also a Giant/Fish-Man hybrid whom Logan had recruited in the open sea after leaving Fish-Man Island. In the original timeline, he was just a member of Foxy the Silver Fox's crew, but under Logan's training, his strength had grown immensely. He now held a solid place even in the New World.
But the real reason Logan was so relaxed was Nanamo's mother—Logan's ex-wife, Charlotte Linlin. The future Emperor, the only woman among the Four Emperors: BIG MOM.
If something major happened, Charlotte Linlin would handle it. For anything minor, Bikapanda could hold his own.
At this age, Charlotte Linlin was not the crazed, violent old woman of the future timeline, nor was she the ignorant child who didn't know the extent of her own power. Currently in her prime, she was a heroic and gallant woman of the sea, possessing a much more rational judgment regarding most matters.
The relationship between them wasn't complicated. Given Linlin's desire to collect different races, once she met a Fish-Man who was both powerful and handsome, the relationship developed quickly.
Nanamo was her first child—the true eldest daughter of the Charlotte Family, born even earlier than Perospero.
However, the relationship didn't last long. Due to a clash of values, the two quickly developed massive differences. Even now, they still disputed the custody of their daughter.
After their breakup, Charlotte Linlin continued as she always had, and now had many more children. Nanamo's existence had caused Perospero to be born a bit later and indirectly resulted in the original eldest daughter, Charlotte Compote, never being born. Aside from that, not much had changed on Linlin's end.
Though their romantic feelings had faded, the split had been relatively amicable. There was no ridiculous "divorce settlement" involving half the family assets.
Furthermore, Linlin herself placed great importance on this daughter. After all, of all her current children, Nanamo was the only one who had inherited her "Iron Balloon" natural physical talent.
What frustrated Linlin the most was that Nanamo was closer to Logan and usually lived with him. Given Logan's own strength, Linlin's usual method of "disposing of the father after the child is born" didn't work here.
Therefore, she hoped to use Katakuri and Nanamo's other half-siblings to influence her daughter's mind, hoping she would eventually become a "pure" member of the Charlotte Family.
"Do you have anything else to report?"
"Nothing major. News came from the undersea outpost. A group of guys we have a grudge against is approaching Hachinosu (Fullalead Island)..."
Before Sebastian could finish, Kaido, who had been sitting cross-legged on the floor, suddenly stood up.
"I'll find someone to come help you fix this place later. I have things to do, so I'm heading out first."
Wrecking houses was Kaido's specialty—even without a Devil Fruit power yet, destroying the place was easy for him. Fixing it, however, was a different story.
Because the nature of Hachinosu led to frequent conflicts, there was actually a group of people specifically responsible for repairs; after all, no one wanted to sleep in ruins every night.
Without waiting for Logan to reply, Kaido rushed out. Logan didn't stop him. The core issue wasn't the money; it was that Kaido had broken the rules Logan had established by fighting there. A lesson had been taught, and Kaido wasn't the type to play the rogue over a repair bill.
After he left, Logan turned back to Sebastian to ask about another matter.
"How are those Sea Kings doing lately?"
"Not bad. They aren't as obedient as the Fighting Fish, but the training is almost complete."
"Take them out for a spin. Let's test their combat effectiveness."
"Yes, sir."
Whether it was Fighting Fish or Sea Kings, they were unique species of this ocean. To ordinary human sailors, these fierce marine creatures were calamities. But to the Fish-Man race who lived in the sea, they were like hunting dogs—a martial force that could be tamed.
In Fish-Man culture, there were specialized traditional methods for taming sea beasts. The Sea Kings Logan mentioned were a batch captured and trained recently; now was the perfect time to see what they could do.
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