The Happo Navy maintained three main bases in Kano Country, known as the Upper, Middle, and Lower Three Peaks Tower.
After the battle that day destroyed the Upper Peak Tower, their headquarters relocated to the Middle Peak Tower.
...
...
After today, only the Lower Peak Tower remained.
——
Amidst the broken walls and rubble, Chin Jao lay powerless on the ground, struggling to lift his hand as if trying to grasp something.
Beside him were Huo Qiushan, collapsed with his weapon broken, along with numerous other members of the Happo Navy.
"How is this possible... How could you... know the Eight Impact Fist!!!"
"This is the secret ultimate technique our Happo Navy has refined over a century!!!"
...
Back against the bright moon, crimson Sharingan eyes reflected the light instead of the moonlight.
Griffin had a terrifying deep dent on his left abdomen, blood still gushing from his back, yet he was the only one standing on the battlefield.
"It's merely a technique of wrapping Armament Haki around sharp parts of the body and concentrating shockwaves into a single point for attack."
"Under these eyes, nothing of yours remains hidden."
Griffin slowly approached Chin Jao, the scene feeling eerily familiar.
"You are not indispensable. Soon enough, I'll be able to open the Treasure Ice Mountain myself."
...
Griffin raised his hand, fingers pressed together like a blade, his palm enveloped in black Armament Haki, the tip gleaming with a chilling cold light.
"What I want is an obedient Seven Warlords of the Sea."
"You understand, don't you."
...
——
Chin Jao looked up, staring directly into those seemingly arrogant eyes.
Many people, at the brink of life and death, recall the people and events they've experienced throughout their lives.
Chin Jao had seen many legendary Pirates, even personally witnessed their clashes.
An unknown past.
Chin Jao had once joined Shiki's Flying Pirate Fleet.
...
In the first few years after Garp flattened his Drill Head, he still harbored thoughts of revenge against Garp.
Knowing he couldn't do it alone, he chose to join the most formidable fleet at the time—Shiki's fleet, which aimed to rule the world.
Shiki wanted to recruit Roger to join forces against the 'World,' but after being refused, a fierce battle erupted between them.
...
That great battle became known as the Battle of Edd War.
Just as the Flying Pirate Fleet, holding an absolute advantage, was about to defeat the Roger Pirate Crew, they unexpectedly encountered an unprecedented massive storm.
Over half of the Flying Pirate Fleet was sunk into the sea, and due to another accident, a ship's rudder was lodged in Shiki's head, temporarily rendering him incapacitated.
That battle ended with the Roger Pirate Crew escaping unscathed, not with a victory.
No one could claim Roger defeated Shiki by sheer strength.
...
Chin Jao, not being a Devil Fruit User, survived that great storm.
In his view, compared to Shiki, who had ambitions to devour the world, Roger was merely a guy with good luck.
Why was he thinking about the Fleet Admiral now...
Chin Jao looked into these eyes and understood.
...
"Your ambition... is too terrifying..."
Chin Jao saw it.
This was the same kind of ambition to swallow the world as Shiki's!!
Why... has another monster like this appeared here!?
——
"Wrong answer."
Griffin closed his thumb and little finger, concentrating power onto the remaining three fingers, turning them even darker.
A terrifying cutting force tore through the atmosphere with a sizzling crackle.
Expressionless, Griffin swung his hand downward as thunder roared!
——
The Finger Pistol honed through relentless training, the piercing spear technique mastered to perfection, and the Secrets of the Eight Impacts Fist replicated by the Sharingan—all converged into a single, ultimate destructive strike!
...
"I SURRENDER!!!!!"
In the face of life and death, terror struck deep. Chin Jao screamed out in an instant.
His cry of surrender coincided almost exactly with the eruption of the Finger Pistol.
Griffin's wrist shifted slightly, the force grazing past Chin Jao's ear. The earlobe was severed by the sharp airflow, sending a line of blood flying.
The next moment—
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!!!
The ground was torn open as if pierced by the fangs of a giant beast, leaving a bottomless pit. Cracks spread out for dozens of meters before gradually subsiding.
Chin Jao stood frozen, cold sweat trickling down his spine, the sharp sound that had torn through the air still echoing in his ears.
...
Honestly.
Even when Garp had smashed his head in.
Even when he'd been caught in a massive storm.
Chin Jao had never felt closer to death than he had just moments before.
This guy never even considered arresting me… He genuinely wanted to kill me!!
...
...
"What kind of fist technique was that…?"
The attack clearly bore traits of the Eight Impacts Fist. Just four fingers had been enough to defeat Chin Jao, and three fingers were even stronger.
It made Chin Jao think about ways to improve the Eight Impacts Fist.
Rather than sharpening a round head, it's obviously easier to sharpen something that's already slender.
...
Griffin glanced at his palm, slowly withdrew his Armament Haki, and lowered his hand.
"Calling it a palm technique isn't quite right, and calling it Finger Pistol overlaps with the Six Styles…"
"Hmm…"
Griffin broke into a smile, the cold ruthlessness from moments ago completely gone. "Let's call it Demon Gun!"
"I originally thought of calling it Divine Gun, but Demon Gun sounds cooler."
"Right now, I can compress my Haki to three fingers. Once I reach one finger, the piercing destructive power should be even greater."
...
Looking at Griffin, Chin Jao couldn't help but feel…
Why did I have to suffer such a defeat at the hands of this genius?
Decades of relentless training, and yet he surpassed me in just a few days.
How pitiful.
...
"Want to learn? I'll teach you."
The dejected Chin Jao jerked his head up, tiger-like eyes glistening. Before the tears could fall, he dropped heavily into a full prostration.
——
——
Three days later,
Kano Country harbor.
The entire Happo Navy, all bandaged up, came to see off Commodore Griffin.
Griffin's oversized backpack weighed down the harbor planks.
This custom backpack, which had previously been filled with meat during his visit to Vegapunk, was now packed with gold, silver, and jewels.
The century-long accumulation of the Happo Navy was staggering. Griffin had taken less than one percent of it.
The Treasure Ice Mountain was an excellent natural safe, and Chin Jao's Drill Head was the perfect key. There was a reason past leaders had their successors train their heads.
A pointed top and wide base worked better for opening and closing the door than Griffin's Finger Pistol.
...
Chin Jao, his arms in casts, approached. Seeing Griffin wrapped in bandages, he felt a bit consoled.
At least he didn't solo the Happo Navy unscathed… Not too bad…
"I won't try practicing the Demon Gun anytime soon. The injuries on my arms and body should heal in about ten days to half a month."
Chin Jao sat down, trying to meet Griffin's gaze evenly. "What's the process for becoming one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea? Does the Marines send someone, or does the World Government send an examiner?"
...
"They might have you fight Hanafuda, that Washing Machine King or something…"
"That's the Lizard King… He's one of the rising stars from Kaido's batch."
Chin Jao raised his head proudly and declared, "Once my injuries heal, crushing a mere little lizard will be as easy as snapping a twig!"
Griffin couldn't quite gauge the difference in their strengths, but he figured even if Chin Jao didn't become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, having him as a subordinate in Kano Country would work just fine.
He had always taken things one step at a time, guided by a single principle:
Adapt to the situation.
There were no elaborate schemes, as if everyone else were NPCs acting according to his script.
Finding the most advantageous path in any given circumstance was Griffin's true ability.
...
In the distance, the naval ship sent to pick him up was now visible.
As Griffin gazed at the layered peaks of Kano Country, his heart swelled with exhilaration.
"Chin Jao, I must be the strongest in Kano Country in the past hundred years, right?"
...
...
After a moment of silence, Chin Jao let out a derisive snort.
"I'd like to humor you and agree, but..."
"Thirty-seven years ago."
"A blond guy, a few years younger than me, defeated the royal guards, stole Kano Country's two treasured famous swords, and set out to sea."
"His name was—"
"Shiki, the Golden Lion!"