One Piece: From Picking Up Red Hair's Broken Arm

Chapter 275 My Name Is Praised Throughout the World
"The other two..."

Deus rummaged through the wanted posters, pulled one out, and tossed it over. "Here you go, 'Crooked-Eyed Swordsman' Tashigi. You should recognize this girl, right?"

"Eh?"

Ace was instinctively shrinking back when he heard this and was immediately dumbfounded:

"Is that Tashigi? That Supernova from my generation? Does she look exactly like that fierce and violent Kuina?"

Ugh, that looks terrifying.

"You admitted your mistake, didn't you? The Charlotte Pirates are in the same boat as you, they admitted their mistake too."

Deuce shrugged. "According to the newspapers, when the battle reached a stalemate, Charlotte Pirates' veteran chef, known as 'Longbread,' rushed to join the fight."

"This old man was rumored to be a legendary pirate who was famous back in the day. He secretly attacked from behind, trying to take down Kuina, but he mistook her for someone else, which resulted in Tashigi being seriously injured and almost dying at his hands."

"Does this mean he's just acting as a scapegoat for being beaten?"

Ace looked at the wanted poster with pity and sympathy. "He ran into an opponent who was on a completely different level. How unlucky... Hmm? A bounty of 333 million???"

His mouth dropped open. No way?

As the strongest of this generation of Supernovas, my bounty is only 300 million Berries. This little girl has only been a member of the Fallen Ones for a short time, and she has already surpassed me?
"For those who care about their bounty, this can actually be considered a blessing in disguise."

Diuss spread his hands. "The swordsman's indomitable spirit was shown in her. Knowing full well that she was no match for him, she still risked her life to hold off Longbread for a full half hour. This bounty is well-deserved."

What about my share? I tried my best too! Ace casually opened a can of cola, looking annoyed.

Then I saw the second arrest warrant that Deus handed me.

"puff!"

Ace spat out the mouthful of cola he had just taken a sip of, exclaiming, "What is this?!"

What he saw was a photograph... no, it wasn't a photograph at all, but a hand-drawn portrait. The green-haired guy he had fought before had his body stuck together with another guy with curly eyebrows, turning into a two-headed monster sharing a single body.

Below the wanted poster, it was clearly written:

【"Merged Monster" Sozan】

The Fallen Ones Headquarters, Combatants

Bounty of 121,000,005,000,000,000,000, life or death!
"Hahaha! What are these two doing?!"

Ace laughed until his stomach hurt, and his earlier annoyance vanished without a trace. "Also, why does it become a hand-drawn picture when it comes to them!"

"It is said that they were defeated on the battlefield, so they joined forces to fight the enemy in order to defeat them."

Diuss smiled and pointed to the small print in the corner of the report, "However, the Navy didn't take any photos, and it seems to have been a misunderstanding due to rumors. They thought it was a permanent fusion caused by some Devil Fruit, so they simply put the two of them together on the wanted list."

"You endured such slander, and still didn't win?"

Ace scratched his head and asked in surprise, "Speaking of which, this new bounty is just the sum of their previous ones, so it's like it didn't increase at all."

"Yeah, they didn't win. After all, the huge gap in strength is there. How could a supernova who just entered the New World possibly deal with Owen and Dafu?"

Deus shook his head, glancing at Ace intentionally or unintentionally. "So, it's good that Ace is confident, but he also needs to be realistic about his own strength. He should start with weaker opponents and challenge them step by step. He can't be too ambitious right from the start..."

"That makes sense."

Ace wholeheartedly agreed, and after a moment's thought, he clasped his fists together heavily in front of his chest:
"It seems we need to change course. Challenging Whitebeard is a bit premature. After all, that old man, like Shano, has a bounty exceeding 5 billion Berries. Let's find someone weaker to challenge first!"

Waaah, did I finally manage to persuade the captain?

Diuss was so excited he almost cried.

A week ago, Ace insisted on challenging Whitebeard, and no one could dissuade him. They were all on the verge of a breakdown.

"So, who do you want to challenge first?" Deus wiped his eyes and asked expectantly.

"Hmm..." Ace stroked his chin and thought seriously, "Since we're going to take it step by step, let's start with that guy! The one whose bounty hasn't increased in years should be much easier!"

Who?
Deus was completely bewildered and hadn't even reacted when Ace had already jumped onto the bow of the ship.

"My men, raise the sails! Let's go!"

Ace pulled his cowboy hat up high, put his hands on his hips, and laughed heartily, "Full speed ahead! Next stop, Wano Country!!!"

------

Ghost Island, top floor of the Skull Castle.

In the darkness, Kaido sat alone on the edge of the terrace, clutching the latest newspaper in his hand, with a dozen empty wine jars scattered at his feet.

"Uro ro ro..."

A low laugh broke the silence. Kaido tilted his head back and gulped down the last mouthful of wine. When he put down the wine jar, his drunken face was already covered in tears.

"Why...why, you idiot!"

Kaido beat his chest and wailed at the sea, "That brat was strong! It's okay to lose, but how could you not even save your own life! That was such a failure, so weak! You old hag!"

"Hey, I can hear you! Who are you calling weak? Who's the old woman? You bastard Kaido!"

An angry shout of cursing suddenly came from the side.

"Who! Didn't I say that no one is allowed to disturb me on the rooftop!"

Kaido was furious. He hurriedly wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and abruptly turned his head.

Upon seeing what was happening before him, his eyes widened in surprise.

under the moonlight.

A pink-haired woman wearing a cowboy hat was leaning lazily against the balcony railing. She was slender and beautiful, holding a half-eaten cake in her hand.

"Ling...Lingling??"

Kaido could barely speak, stammering, "You weren't... how... how could you..."

"Oh my! What, are you surprised to see an old friend come back to life? Don't forget, I'm a Soul-Soul Fruit user who has deciphered the mysteries of the soul!"

The pink-haired woman, a younger version of Charlotte Linlin, laughed as she stuffed the last bite of cake into her mouth, casually wiped the cream from the corner of her mouth, jumped off the railing, and strode over.

"That kind of thing doesn't matter."

She looked down at Kaido from her high vantage point and said with a grin:
"Compared to this, hey Kaido, you actually have such a dejected moment, hiding here alone and secretly crying? For whom? Me?"

"Stop being so sentimental!"

Kaido turned his face away and sneered, "I was just sulking. A Yonko, so easily killed by a brat. Hmph, what kind of talk is this..."

Before she could finish speaking, her cheek was gripped tightly by a slender, fair hand.

"Ouch! Ouch! Be gentle, Lingling!"

"That's really dishonest."

Charlotte Linlin shook her head speechlessly, "I'll accept your concern for now, but there's really no need to take it too seriously. As a pirate, isn't it normal to get killed?"

normal?

Kaido looked up in astonishment. What was normal about this?

"Having been one of the Four Emperors for so long, have you forgotten how you got here?"

Lingling pointed into the distance, "Tell me, what's that?"

Kaido looked out onto the terrace, somewhat puzzled, but still frowned and replied, "The sea?"

"Yes, the sea!"

Lingling grinned: "It's the sea we've always wanted to conquer! It's a sea that can tolerate all dreams, all successes and failures, all ambitions!" "We'd pay any price to conquer it, and that's precisely why it's so captivating and enchanting!"

"Back then, we climbed to the top of this ocean by stepping on the dreams of countless people. Now that times have changed, some people want to step on us to realize their own ambitions. Isn't that normal?"

"Lingling..."

Kaido stared at her triumphant appearance, momentarily lost in thought.

In the end, he remained silent and lowered his head.

"Hmm? Still haven't figured it out? Hey, Kaido, when did you become so indecisive?"

Lingling gave Kaido's shoulder a shove, the force so great that it made his burly body sway.

"So what if I die? Do you think I'll disappear forever because of one failure? How naive! As long as this sea continues to surge, and the stories of future generations continue, our legend will never end!"

"What, you think I'd be resentful or hold a grudge?"

Lingling grinned and laughed heartily.

"What the hell! What a joke! To be killed by a worthy opponent at the peak of one's life is practically the perfect farewell for a pirate!"

She opened her arms as if to embrace the entire night sky, "Compared to dying of old age in a hospital bed at some unknown time, or falling into the sea, this kind of ending is more worthy of the name 'BIGMOM'!"

"So put my business aside and get excited, Kaido! On this sea, a monster that can truly threaten us and kill us has finally appeared! How long has it been since you felt this kind of thrill?"

The night wind lifted the ribbon of her cowboy hat and brushed against Kaido's face, instantly sobering him up considerably. He stared blankly at the slender figure in front of him.

"Linlin." Kaido closed his eyes, then opened them again, and said earnestly, "Thank you."

"Oh?"

Lingling turned her head and smiled:

"Did you hear me? Good. Anyway, give it your all and fight, you idiot, while you're still at your peak, while your fists can still swing..."

"Either I personally end that brat's life and show him that this is still your era! Or... I'll become a magnificent cornerstone under his throne, just like me! Either way, my life will have been worthwhile!"

Her figure gradually blurred and faded, and her voice and smile gradually disappeared.

Kaido instinctively reached out to grab Linlin's wrist, but missed.

I only managed to catch a sliver of moonlight.

Faintly, it seemed as if the sounds of conversation could be heard coming from the darkness of the night.

"Ugh~ What an ugly brat! Newgate! What's going on? What are you bringing onto the ship?"

"Huh? You're calling me Lingling? How rude of you, you brat! You should call me 'older sister'!"

"God Valley...besides Shakky, there are many top-tier Devil Fruits as prizes?"

"Hey! Lingling, you promised me that fruit, didn't you?"

"Relax, relax, here you go, no one's going to take it from you, you ignorant little brat..."

"Nonsense, with Rocks dead, everyone's naturally going their separate ways. So... kid, shall we part ways here and each go our own way?"

Kaido froze, and after a long while, he finally raised his head and looked around at the empty terrace.

The people of the past are gone, and only the distant waves crashing against the rocks of Ghost Island make a series of splashing sounds.

"have they gone?"

He suddenly burst into laughter, casually ripped open his shirt to reveal his scarred chest, grabbed a jar of wine, broke the seal, and continued to drink heartily.

Finally left!
really...

How melodramatic! He was just leaving, but he had to turn back to look at me one last time!
I'm not a child anymore!

However, I still have to say something...

Thank you so much, you old hag!
The liquor dripped down his neck, soaking his pants, but Kaido continued to gulp it down, completely unconcerned.

Snapped!
Finally finishing his drink, he abruptly stood up, smashed the empty wine jar to the ground, and amidst the flying shards, roared deafeningly to the sky:

"Uro ro ro ro—!!!"

The laughter echoed far and wide, devoid of any dejection, but instead filled with a long-lost, high-spirited fighting spirit.

He strode to the edge of the castle, looking down at the brightly lit Ghost Island below, his voice booming like thunder through the night sky:

"Listen up, you lot!"

"From today onwards, the Beasts Pirates are entering full combat readiness! All newly joined officers, intensify your training! All factories, work day and night to keep up production!"

"Within three months, I want to see the most elite troops and the best weapons!"

Kaido turned around, the moonlight casting a long shadow of him. He picked up his spiked club from the ground, slung it over his shoulder, and black and red lightning crackled and danced around its shaft.

"The tide of a new era has arrived!"

"Either ride the waves or be shattered to pieces! This is the destiny of us pirates!"

"Heh heh heh heh! Let that brat wait! Last time was just a friendly spar, next time we meet, it'll be a real fight to the death!"

"Ooooooooooo!!!"

"Lord Kaido!!"

The entire island erupted in chaos, with countless pirates raising their weapons, laughing and shouting in response to the governor's call.

In a secluded corner, unnoticed by anyone, a young girl in a white kimono remained silent, her eyes flashing with complex emotions. The two purple shimenawa ribbons she always wore had been removed at some point.

The shouts from below grew louder and louder.

On the terrace, Kaido gazed at the distant horizon, his eyes filled with a ferocious expression.

Lingling is right!
Instead of wallowing in self-pity here, let's gamble everything and fight a fierce battle! Regardless of victory or defeat, life or death, we will have done right by this sea that carries countless dreams!
This is the real Kaido of the Beasts, isn't it?

"Come on, little brat, Xia Nuo..."

He muttered coldly to himself, his voice gradually fading into the night:
"Only after you get past Lao Tzu will you be qualified to rule this new era of the ocean. But don't get killed by someone else before you even see Lao Tzu!"

------

"If there's a next time, we have to kill him."

On the deck of the New Red Fox in the New World, the red-haired man expressionlessly put down his newspaper and uttered words that sent chills down the spines of those around him:
"That guy is certainly on our side, but for the true rebirth of the world, for the sake of preventing all the precious forces of resistance from repeating the same mistakes and being wasted... even if it has to be done, I will do it!"

Everyone looked at each other.

"Boss..."

Ben Beckman, a cigarette dangling from his lips, his brow furrowed, asked with a hint of disbelief, "You...you're not kidding, you're serious?"

"Yeah, boss!"

"Let me think about it again! I've always quite liked Xia Nuo!"

Rakitic, Yasopp, and others also spoke up.

"Uncontrolled and excessively powerful forces will only become obstacles to the arrival of a new era."

“I did hesitate and struggle before, reluctant to fall out with them, but... the balance I’ve painstakingly built up over the years absolutely cannot be broken prematurely.”

Shanks took a deep breath, his gaze hardening. "So, there's no need to say more. I've never been this serious before, Beckman, everyone."

(End of this chapter)