Chapter 205: The Blind Tiger's Heart is Moved, a Clash of Emperors Looms
This money?
Fujitora set down his cup and sighed. "Before coming here, I was on the edge of the Calm Belt. I rescued two children and took them back to their home in the West Blue. The place was in ruins, filled with the starving and the homeless. I was planning to go back and use this money to help them get medical care and rebuild their town..."
"What?" Shane interrupted, annoyed. "After losing so much, you finally win a fortune, and you're just going to give it all away?" He slammed a pouch down in front of Fujitora. "Hey! Don't talk about such an incredible act of charity as if it's as simple as having a drink, Issho!"
"What's this?" Fujitora asked, startled.
"Money. Freshly extorted from the World Government. I have more than I know what to do with," Shane said with a grin, pouring himself another drink. "Three hundred million Belly probably isn't enough to rebuild a whole town. Add this to it."
Fujitora instinctively felt the weight of the pouch... it was heavier than his own briefcase, at least four or five hundred million. We've only just met, and he's just giving this to me?
He couldn't help but smile wryly. He carefully put the pouch away and raised his glass. "Lord Shane... you are far too generous, and far too trusting."
"Don't worry about it. It was the World Government's money anyway," Shane said, clinking his glass with Fujitora's and downing it. Then his tone shifted. "But, Issho, have you ever considered that what you're doing, running around helping people on your own... is just putting a bandage on a gaping wound? It doesn't solve the root of the problem."
"..." Fujitora fell silent, his expression growing serious. "What are you implying, my lord...?"
"This world... is rotten to the core," Shane said. "Since I set sail, I've been doing the same as you, helping where I can. But what happens after we leave? Nothing changes. Pirates will continue to pour from the Four Blues into the Grand Line, the Heavenly Tribute will continue to crush people, and the common folk will be caught in the middle, powerless, like this fragile glass..."
CRACK!
The glass in his hand shattered.
The barmaid, who was on her knees scrubbing the floor, froze and shot Shane a resentful look.
"Ah, sorry! I'll pay for that when we settle the bill!" Shane said, scratching his head in embarrassment. Once the barmaid had turned back to her work, he looked at Fujitora again, his expression earnest.
"Unless we change the world at its very foundation, tragedies like this will just keep repeating. No matter how many bandages you apply, you can only save people for a moment, not for a lifetime."
"I am well aware of this truth, my lord," Fujitora said with a sigh, shaking his head. "But it is one thing to say it, and another to do it. Anyone who makes such a grand declaration must face the behemoth that is the World Government."
"Too many heroes have been broken by its power, or have lost their way after carving out their own empires. Take the Yonko Kaido, for example..."
"Kaido?" Smoker, who had been listening quietly, blinked in surprise. What's he got to do with this?
"Yes. That man... he may be a pure tyrant now, occupying Wano, but when he was young," Fujitora said, a nostalgic look on his face, "he had the same kind of spirit as Lord Shane. He, too, once declared that he would change the world with his own power..."
"So what?" Shane roared with laughter, a wild arrogance in his voice. "You think I'll become the next Kaido? Don't be ridiculous! What's he compared to me? Don't you dare put us in the same category! At nineteen, I am already at the pinnacle of this world! What was Kaido doing at nineteen? Forget a Marine Admiral, could he have even beaten Smoker?"
Hey, Boss, don't use me as a unit of measurement! Smoker's eye twitched.
Fujitora was speechless. It was true... there was no arguing with that.
"In any case," Shane said, grabbing a new glass, "the thing I've always loved most in life is a good challenge. A dream like this... it's precisely because it seems impossible that it's worth pursuing!" He drained his glass in one gulp.
"Hey! Issho! I promise you, if you join us, you can not only continue to be a champion of the people, but you can witness firsthand... no, you can be a part of creating a brand new era, alongside comrades who share your ideals!"
"And even if we fail in the end, so what?! Our story will have been written! Future generations will remember us!"
Come on, you big blind tiger! I know you have your own ambitions! I know you're not content to be a lone wolf forever!
Any man who could reach the top of the world had his own convictions. Otherwise, Fujitora would never have joined the world draft to become a Marine Admiral. But the reason he'd joined the Marines in the original timeline was because there was no other place for a man of his ideals. Now, there was. The Curtain Call Adventurers would be a better home for him than Marine HQ ever could be.
"..."
Fujitora was silent for a long time. He ran a hand over the bag of money, his mind flashing with images of crying children in the ruins, of all the injustice he had seen over the years... and finally, of the man sitting before him, laughing with wild abandon. He was not a man to be easily swayed by words. But before meeting Shane, he had already researched his history. Otherwise, a man like him, who despised evil, would never have sat down for a drink with a wanted pirate.
Shane, the World's Greatest Swordsman. His character was trustworthy. His strength was undeniable. And tonight, he had personally felt the man's indomitable will... This was a man worth following.
"I have one condition," Fujitora finally said.
"Name it."
"Remember the words you have spoken today. If the day ever comes when you betray your promise and walk the same path as Kaido..." Fujitora lifted his staff, and for the first time, his blind eyes opened, revealing the startling white beneath. An invisible pressure made the hairs on Smoker's neck stand on end. "...then do not blame me for sending you to hell with this Supreme Grade Sword myself."
"You have my word," Shane said without hesitation. "And if that day ever comes, you won't have to. The others on my crew—Robin, Kuma, Smoker—they wouldn't let me get away with it either."
Is that so? Fujitora glanced at Smoker. But Smoker wasn't paying attention. He was staring at Fujitora's staff, his jaw slack. A Supreme Grade Sword? Seriously?! That beat-up walking stick is on the same level as the swords of Mihawk and Whitebeard?! You'd never know by looking at it!
"It seems, as you said, that your crew is indeed full of like-minded individuals... The thought of fighting alongside them fills me with anticipation," Fujitora said. He put away his staff. "In that case, from this day forward, you are my captain, Lord Shane."
"However..." he hesitated. "Please forgive me, but I have some matters to attend to. I cannot set sail with you immediately."
"Going back to the West Blue to tie up some loose ends?" Shane had expected this. "No problem. We can wait. How long will you need?"
"Not long. Less than half a year. Perhaps three or four months," Fujitora said apologetically. "I will handle things there as quickly as possible. I also wish to speak with an old friend who once invited me to join the Marines before I officially join your crew."
An old friend? Smoker's curiosity was piqued, but Shane seemed completely unconcerned. He just grabbed the bottle and refilled their glasses. "No problem. We'll have a proper welcome party for you in a few months. But for tonight..." he laughed. "Let's keep it simple. To new beginnings!"
Clink!
The sound of their glasses meeting echoed through the quiet bar...
That night, Fujitora and Shane parted ways. The rest of the crew relaxed and celebrated. The next day, after resupplying, The Curtain Call set sail once more, heading for Totto Land. They weren't far now.
...
In late January, Totto Land was already in full bloom. Biscuit Island, the outermost of the thirty-six islands, was the designated reception area for guests arriving from the west.
Charlotte Custard stood on the docks, a worried look on her face. As the sixth daughter of Big Mom and the twin sister of Sweet Commander Cracker, she had been tasked with greeting the most anticipated guest of the Tea Party.
"Hey, Cracker," she whispered. "Mama personally ordered me to... approach him. But I've never even been in a relationship... This is too much pressure..."
"Pressure? This is an opportunity, you idiot!" a gruff voice came from the giant biscuit soldier behind her. "Don't be scared off by his reputation. He's still a man, and all men are the same. And you... you're beautiful and cute. If you can make him fall for you, our family will gain a top-tier fighter, and you'll be a hero in Mama's eyes!"
"C-Cute?" Custard said, blushing. She was a standard, pretty girl, but she was also about to turn forty next month. She was old enough to be his mother.
"Shut up!" Cracker snapped. "If Mama hears you talking like that, she'll take your lifespan! Get it together! You think you're the only one with this mission? Galette, Smoothie, even Pudding have been given the same orders! Mama is determined to get him! You're just as good as any of them... at least in my eyes! Now pull yourself together!"
Right, confidence!
Custard took a deep breath. Just then, a ship appeared on the horizon, a white flag with two crossed swords flying from its mast.
"He's here!" Cracker said, giving her a shove. "Go! I've got your back!"
Custard stumbled to the end of the pier, her heart pounding as the famous ship grew closer. The legendary figure at its prow came into focus—a handsome young man with black hair and black clothes, his presence so powerful it seemed to dim the light around him.
He's so handsome...
If before she had just been following orders, now... she was genuinely interested. She took a deep breath, ready to put on her most charming smile, when she froze. On the deck of the ship, her sister Smoothie was lounging against the railing, holding a glass of juice and giving her a knowing, mocking toast. And next to her were Galette, Myukuru, and several of their other sisters, all looking right at her.
How could this be?! Custard gritted her teeth. Nearly everyone who had been given the mission... was already here.
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