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"The small stones on the ground must remain in the shadows..."
"What a wise saying from a random character… Fufufu~"
Doffy laughed slowly, repeating the words spoken by a blond marine soldier to the little girl who admired Nami.
"Is that Usopp? Haha! There's no way this little girl could imagine that the long-nosed guy in front of her is a member of the Straw Hat Pirates and a companion of Nami."
Rosinante laughed as he watched the scene, though he was visibly annoyed by the arrogant attitude of the blond marine.
...
Not far from Doffy's group, Mihawk sat with one leg crossed over the other. Beside him rested his legendary black blade, Yoru. He quietly sipped his sugarless coffee as he observed these extra manga scenes unfold.
A drunken marine soldier was boasting at a bar, telling his friends how he had once witnessed Dracule Mihawk slice through a glacier during the Summit War. That memory had become the pride of his life, solidifying Mihawk in his eyes as the greatest swordsman.
"Are they still debating who the strongest swordsman is? Fools… Is that even still a topic for debate!?"
"There isn't a single competitor in the manga world who can rival my counterpart's title as the greatest swordsman..."
Issho glanced toward Mihawk and smiled. "Your counterpart is fortunate that Rob doesn't exist in the manga world."
Upon hearing that, Mihawk paused mid-sip and gazed intently at Issho.
"I can't argue with that. You're right."
Mihawk admitted it at last. He had fought his counterpart in the game world and learned firsthand just how high the bar could be set—and surpassed. He had even fought Rob. And Rob's swordsmanship—just one of his many abilities—was leagues beyond what any other swordsman in the world could ever hope to achieve.
Rob, as a swordsman, was utterly terrifying.
…
——————————————————
Chapter's Events:
——————————————————
"Hey rookie! That's Whitebeard!"
A drunk man pointed at Whitebeard's bounty poster. "He fights using a naginata spear, so he's not a swordsman."
"It's Mihawk! I've seen his strength with my own eyes!" a Mihawk fan cried out.
"Yeah, yeah. Hawk-Eye." another man scoffed.
The Mihawk fan grew angrier. "I saw it with my own eyes!"
Just then, a voice interrupted them. It was Marine Older Brother. "You all know nothing. The strongest one is… Akainu."
"He's not even a swordsman, you idiot!" all the men shouted back at him.
"Blackbeard is the strongest…" another fool chimed in.
"They're all hopeless at judging strength… the only promising one among them is Zoro, don't you think?" a Zoro fan said.
Sanji, who happened to be standing behind him, overheard.
"How dare you talk about that moss-head and not about Black Leg?"
"Hahahahaha!!!"
"Bwahahaha!"
"Gyahahahaha!"
The room exploded in laughter at Sanji's comment.
"Hahaha! No way!"
"His bounty is lower than Zoro's!"
"He can't possibly be the strongest!"
Suddenly, the laughter stopped as all the men were brutally beaten. Even the Zoro fan, who usually got away with it, took the worst of the damage.
"What's his problem this time?"
——————————————————
"Pfft…"
Sora chuckled as she watched the hilarious scene.
"Seems like Sanji doesn't take being underestimated well," Toki said with a smile.
"That's Sanji for you—especially when it's about Zoro. Those guys got exactly what they deserved," added Sora.
"I think Sanji and Zoro are pretty close in strength these days. The bounty always underestimates Sanji," said Otohime, standing nearby.
"The wings of the Pirate King should be close in power. Even so, Zoro tends to take the lead—he was probably Luffy's first mate, after all."
"That's relatively true."
"Not really... Zoro is slightly stronger than Sanji, yes, but Sanji's potential in the crew is unmatched."
At that moment, Rob, who wasn't far off, joined the conversation with his wives. He was currently preparing to empty the Art Store and get ready for upcoming events.
…
Back in Marineford, Sakazuki closed his eyes after hearing Marine Older Brother proclaim his name as the strongest in the world—thus including him in the debate about the greatest swordsman.
"Hmph, fool... But it doesn't matter whether they're swordsmen or not—they'll all burn to ash beneath my magma."
"Looks like even Akainu has fans now..."
"Of course he does. A large percentage of the marines now openly support Sakazuki. Even among civilians, many admire and favor him."
"Naturally. People still love unwavering resolve, destructive power, and firm justice."
The praise didn't move Sakazuki. His expression remained solid and unshaken—but inside, he was smiling.
He loved having a loyal following.
Extreme Justice reigns supreme. That was his motto—and his fans'.
…
"Do you hate your brother or not? Just tell us the truth…"
The scenes of Marine Younger Brother played out in Sengoku's eyes, who was now more focused than ever on the unfolding events.
"His older brother seems more talented… and far more courageous," said Zephyr.
"These war scenes… from the perspective of ordinary soldiers… they're truly heartbreaking." Tsuru covered her mouth in sorrow.
She could clearly see the blood-soaked marines—undeniably dead. These were the eyes of Marine Younger Brother.
"This is terrible… But all those sacrifices led to success. Whitebeard was defeated in the end…"
Sengoku clenched his cup so tightly it nearly cracked.
"Is he not going to save his brother? Is he trying to escape? That laser—don't tell me those are my own attacks…"
"Sigh~ Looks like my counterpart accidentally hurt a lot of regular soldiers during the battle."
"Is that… Luffy?"
Kuzan's eyes froze on the breathtaking manga panel.
——————————————————
Marine Younger Brother was running away, leaving his older brother behind on the brink of death.
"I'm… your brother!!!"
He froze in his tracks upon hearing Luffy's shout.
"Brother… Run!"
Marine Older Brother cried out from within the ice when he saw his younger sibling stop.
But then, the younger brother's eyes regained their light—and he turned back to save his big brother.
…
'If Gol D. Roger hadn't started the Great Pirate Era… If Fire Fist Ace hadn't been captured… If we hadn't been summoned to fight in this war… If I hadn't been pinned under that giant's leg… If my gun belt hadn't been sliced… If I hadn't heard that man's voice… All of these moments slowly changed my life.'
'If I survive, could my actions ever impact someone else's life the way his did?'
'Like that man...' From within the flames, Luffy emerged—he had successfully saved his brother, right in front of Marine Younger Brother's eyes, who was thinking all this to himself.
'My brother's still alive, thanks to the Straw Hat. But he… lost his brother, Ace, right in front of his eyes. He disappeared after that. I wonder where he is now.'
"Alert! The pirate Straw Hat Luffy has been spotted nearby!"
The younger brother's thoughts were interrupted by this shocking report.
"He's meeting his crew at Grove 46!"
"Nami… will be there!"
The little girl's eyes lit up when she heard that as well.
——————————————————
"Sigh… Seems like someone here's truly inspired by Luffy's actions…"
"This younger brother has a conscience."
"So Luffy unknowingly ended up saving the older brother of this marine? That's amazing."
"What irony… the marine's brother was saved, but Luffy's wasn't. Isn't that divine karma? If Luffy's words could unknowingly save someone else's brother… what would be enough to save Luffy's brother?"
Sengoku looked deeply at Sakazuki after saying that.
"It would've been enough if my counterpart weren't on the battlefield—but too bad for him… I was. His karma wasn't enough."
That was Sakazuki's cold reply.
"I still wonder—what kind of weapon are they planning to use?"
"In any case, it seems the secret code to activate it has been lost…"
"Seriously? That little fan letter is what saved the Straw Hat Crew from that weapon!?"
"Wait a minute—A weapon that releases a liquid into the sea and melts ships and their hulls?! That's amazing! Why does it even need a secret code to activate? Just launch it already, idiot!"
"What's the point of yelling now? They've already departed safely for Fish-Man Island."
…
Oykot Kingdom:
Back at the Art Store in this tiny kingdom in the East Blue, Lilia's eyes sparkled with joy as she watched the little Nami fan search eagerly for the crew's meeting spot.
"Pfft, hahaha! What a cute little girl. I really want to know her name. Why hasn't it been mentioned yet?"
Lilia said this as she looked toward the black-haired man beside her, who was playing with the baby girl in his lap.
These two were Nami's biological parents—Lilia and Jack.
"Hahaha! This little girl is as smart as our Nami. I bet she'll succeed."
"Did you see that? She saw through the fakes instantly! Hahahaha!"
"Pfft! She's really special."
"She even witnessed the epic moment when Luffy destroyed the Pacifista. What a lucky girl..."
"Haha! Told you she was sharp! Look, she's even trying to make a deal with the marine's younger brother… She sold out the crew just to see Nami! Hahaha!"
Jack laughed at the scene, and Lilia smiled too.
(Nami is dear to me because she makes me feel like I could go on adventures too. That's why I want to support her.)
She smiled, reading the little girl's confession, which was addressed to someone who had shared a similar experience… someone whose life had also been changed by Luffy.
"What a noble marine, this younger brother… He'll help her see Nami from afar, and that's enough, really..." Jack smiled as well.
"It's not enough! I want to see Nami read the girl's fan letter!" Lilia slammed the table in frustration.
…
"Tell me… Will this little girl's letter ever reach Nami?"
In Ohara, Belle-mère pointed to the manga page, asking Rob.
"Who knows… Maybe," Rob shrugged, smiling.
"Didn't her letter already get lost? It was mixed up with that secret code the older brother had!"
Belle-mère's concern was clearly reflected in her eyes.
"It's okay. Her letter was delivered… A fan letter, forever preserved in the manga. Isn't that enough?" Rob replied with a smile.
…
"Seeing all these people so excited for my singing thrills me greatly! Yohohohohoho!"
"Even a beautiful girl like the Bookstore Part-Timer is a big fan of mine, yohohohohoho! I wonder if I can ask her if I could see her underw– Boom! Ughhh!"
Brook shouted as he got hit with a strong slap.
"What!?"
"Stop insulting your fans, you idiot! You want to see underwear everywhere!"
yelled Bell-mère, who was frustrated by Brook's response. She was the one who slapped him.
"Ah, Bell-mère-san… I'm just so happy, that's why I want to see her underw– Ughhh!"
"Just stop saying that every time!"
Bell-mère smiled as she saw the young girl approach, finally able to catch sight of the Sunny-Go.
But her mood soured the moment she saw her being grabbed by that wicked blonde marine.
"Hmm, that bastard again! What's the deal with that strange Marine ship? Is it that secret weapon ship?"
"Yet another pebble on the road… that vile scumbag! What's his story!?"
Bell-mère was getting angrier and angrier because of him—and she wasn't the only one; many others were furious at him too.
But upon seeing the next change in events, Bell-mère quietly smiled.
"It seems fate wants this…"
From the last scene, it looked like Bell-mère and the rest of the readers heard Luffy's voice shouting one word:
"Let's sail!!"
"In the end, the little girl managed to catch a glimpse of Nami laughing joyfully."
"Unfortunately, she couldn't deliver her fan letter to Nami…"
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 900: Vigarland Shamrock Enters the Game World!
Chapter 901: Fisher Tiger, The Human.
Chapter 902: Rob's Impression of the Latest Elbaf Arc Chapters! Solo Leveling Nears Its End.
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