The pinnacle of pirates begins with deceiving fate!

Upon hearing this, John, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, smiled knowingly and dropped a bombshell:

"Kaido, I know what you want. I can give you even greater power."

John knew Kaido's personality perfectly well; there was no need for assessment or vetting.

To say that Kaido is completely loyal is absolutely not true! Otherwise, he wouldn't have knocked Linlin down with a single blow for the sake of the Blue Dragon Fruit.

But he's not the kind of treacherous villain who would betray his partners. Even if they part ways, he'll retain a shred of dignity and won't go to extremes.

Therefore, it's perfectly fine to reveal some of your secrets to Kaido.

What do I need to give in return?

Faced with temptation, Kaido did not lose his mind and become overjoyed, clearly understanding the way pirates interact.

A mutually beneficial exchange!

You'll find out later.

John actually agrees with Luffy's statement, "One person can't do anything on this sea," and he also needs help.

Especially later on, the Straw Hat crew's most classic move was the gauntlet battle plus endless sit-ups. John alone was far from enough to fight Nika.

We need to add more people!

Kaido gave John a deep look, and seeing that he didn't intend to talk, he didn't press further and changed the subject:

"What about the Ancient Weapons? You're just going to hand them over to the World Government like that?"

"It's not going to the World Government, it's going to the Navy. The sea needs balance; if the pirates are too powerful, it will cause trouble," John said, his eyes gleaming.

Once Shiki and Linlin obtain the Gate of Justice, they will essentially have nuclear weapons belonging to their own faction.

In such a situation, equipping the navy with ancient weapons would create a balance of power, deterring anyone from making any rash moves.

Ancient weapons can also become a seed that exacerbates the conflict between the Navy and the World Government. The Navy will not turn against the World Government for the sake of "justice," but things may change once their desires run wild.

In particular, Sengoku possesses the "qualifications of a king," meaning he would never easily hand over ancient weapons to the World Government.

The future of the ocean will no longer be dominated by the World Government. Whether it's Im, Shiki, Linlin, or Sengoku, they all have the power to destroy each other's territories.

The era of warlordism has officially begun!

"balance?"

Kaido pursed his lips in dissatisfaction.

"If you ask me, we should take this opportunity to completely wipe out the Five Elders!"

What he dislikes most is this bullshit balance, which is nothing but a hypocritical illusion of harmony. How can you change the world without paying casualties?

"There's nothing we can do about it. You'll understand in the future."

In fact, John agreed with Kaido's point of view, but many things were beyond his control.

As long as Im doesn't die, even if Saint Satan or Saint Pitt die, there will soon be other saints to take their place, and their strength will not be weakened because of the existence of the "Abyss Contract".

If that's the case, why not keep the Five Elders who are familiar with the situation and replace them with other unknown monsters and demons?

Garin is a case in point. He was a slowdown in God Valley, but later he was promoted to one of the Five Elders.

Is it another speed bump? Did he eat a Devil Fruit? What kind of ability does he have?

Completely unknown!

Therefore, it's best to keep the Five Elders around, so that when we deal with Im next time, we can save a lot of effort in analyzing the enemy situation.

"asshole!"

As the two walked down Fujiyama, they were blocked by a man in a slit kimono wielding two swords, his underwear showing through his trousers.

Kozuki Oden!

"You're not leaving with those guys, what else do you want to do to this country!"

Oden stared intently at the two people in front of him, but dared not make a move rashly.

Previously, he wanted to climb Mount Fuji to continue his duel with Kaido, but he was blocked by a man named Saint Somaz, and he couldn't kill him no matter what he did.

There was also a woman named Jun Gongzi who would occasionally launch sneak attacks from the side, causing him considerable injuries.

"I'm here to discuss a business deal with you."

John flicked his finger, and a piercing shriek came from the sky. Then, a golden greatsword fell from the sky and landed in front of Oden, twitching as it was planted in the mud.

Meeting Oden's puzzled gaze, John smiled and explained.

"I've heard that your Wano Country is rich in Seastone. I'll buy it with gold, at a ratio of 1:10000. How about that?"

"One kilogram of gold for ten thousand kilograms of seastone?" Oden raised an eyebrow, somewhat tempted.

Due to its long-term isolation, Wano Country has a relatively closed economic system, with only three currencies in circulation: platinum, gold, and silver.

Being able to exchange hard stones like sea stone for gold is definitely a highly profitable business!

"Is it that simple? You don't have any other purpose?" Since the other party was a pirate, Oden remained extremely wary.

Of course I had other motives!

John muttered to himself, then shrugged and said, "Besides that, what else do you think this poor country has that I could possibly covet?"

"Uh……"

The words were hurtful, but Oden had to admit that Wano Country was just too boring.

He was so bored that even the general's son wanted to leave. For a pirate who could pull out gold at any time, there really wasn't anything worth thinking about.

Chapter 188 Cube Fruit

"OK then."

After some deliberation, Oden, as the son of the shogun, accepted the deal on behalf of Wano Country.

With business as a bridge, Oden also became acquainted with John and Kaido. He immediately invited the two to go to brothels for fun, forgetting all about the mess in Wano Country.

"Let's go, I'll invite you two to 'Women's Tribulation' so you can experience the charm of Wano Country."

"I won't go, Kaido, you go."

Paying to find women? Although Oden was treating, John wasn't that destitute.

This will make Huang and Shuli look down on you!

"Huh? I'm going?"

Kaido, who was twenty-five years old at the time, immediately blushed, like a young man experiencing his first love, full of shyness.

And so, amidst Kaido's feigned reluctance, Oden half-pushed and half-dragged him to the pink-glowing brothel in the Flower Capital.

John shook his head as he watched the two figures walk away.

Although many people dislike Oden, he is actually quite simple-minded, even a bit naive, but he's still a good friend.

However, such a personality would be a sin for someone in a high position, as they would be unable to bring stability to those below them.

Ultimately, they will betray innocent people.

"This is getting more and more interesting!"

The thought that the two people who should have fought to the death were now arm in arm, looking for fun, seemed utterly absurd to John.

If the two of them ultimately cannot escape their fate and are destined to face each other with swords drawn, I wonder if they will think of the happiness they have today then.

Fujiyamauchi

The deep, secluded passage extends endlessly downwards along the rock strata of Tengshan Mountain. Water droplets seep from the damp rocks, converging into streams on both sides of the stone steps. The air is heavy and cool, carrying an ancient aura that has not dissipated for eight hundred years.

At the end of the hidden passage, a huge, almost transparent ancient crystal wall blocks the way, separating the secret passage from the ancient ruins of the land of Wano, which are submerged in deep water.

Looking out through the crystal wall, the entire lost ancient city lies quietly in the huge underground lake beneath Mount Fuji. This is the ancient land of the Land of Wano, which was sealed away for a hundred years, and it is also the resting place of the ancient weapon "Pluto".

The lake water is crystal clear, without any waves, and the faint morning light flows slowly from the cracks in the rock strata, gently spreading over the ancient buildings.

Countless rustic Japanese-style dilapidated houses are arranged in layers, with faded wooden walls covered with a thin layer of algae, multiple eaves stretching towards the water, and roof ridges carved with animal patterns unique to ancient Japan, their outlines softened by the passage of time.

The winding stone-paved streets and alleys crisscross, stone bridges span the former river channels, abandoned torii gates are half-submerged in the water, and heavy wooden pillars stand silently immersed in the blue waves. In the distance, the five-story ancient pagodas and the ruins of the giant stone castle tower are arranged against the mountain, and the huge foundations are deeply embedded in the underwater rock strata.

Before the ancient crystal wall, Garp, Roger, and the other three were utterly awestruck by the sight that had been lost for so many years.

Soon, Roger stood with his hands on his hips, grinning broadly.

"Haha, Sengoku, this is underwater, Devil Fruit users are strictly prohibited from entering!"

"hateful……"

Zhan Guo's face was gloomy, and the broken round-framed glasses reflected a cold glint.

"In that case, why don't we join forces and eliminate the guys who intend to destroy the ancient weapons?"

Sounds came from the dark tunnel behind them, and the pirates led by Wald appeared in front of the four with their rapid footsteps.

"After that, we'll fight for ownership of the ancient weapons, shall we? Sengoku general!"

"Wald, what nonsense are you spouting!"

Upon seeing that the pirates were trying to seduce his best friend, Garp immediately raised his fist and made a threatening gesture.

"No matter what, we will absolutely not let you, the 'world destroyer,' obtain the ancient weapons. Don't even think about it!"

"That's not necessarily true, what do you think, Warring States general?"

Faced with repeated inquiries, Sengoku remained silent, only turning his head to look again through the ancient crystal wall at the ruins of the ancient Wano Country.

Faintly visible in the center of the ancient city, deep within a circular artificial harbor, lies a massive, menacing shadow.

The ancient weapon "Pluto"!

At this moment, Sengoku was torn between a world government that took pleasure in killing and oppression and the future of the navy and the direction of justice.

Obtaining ancient weapons could lead to the world government using them to indiscriminately slaughter and destroy nations.

However, without ancient weapons, the navy would be at a disadvantage in the coming era of warlordism and would no longer have the possibility of maintaining order at sea.

After much deliberation, the Warring States period finally made its decision.

"can."