"Hahahaha! Jack, you're still too careless! In battle, you can't afford to hold back!"
"This isn't 'not holding back'—this is downright ruthless!"
"You're absolutely right! But... when it comes to the fight for supremacy, it's always been this way! Thunder... Bagua!"
In an instant, lightning and Conqueror's Haki coiled around the spiked club "A-Ken," and Yamato swung it with blinding speed, striking Jack squarely.
Jack was sent flying backward, completely knocked out of the fight.
"Young! Still too young, Jack! Just accept your place as the little brother! Everything of Father's... I'll be the one to inherit it!"
"You'll inherit jackshit." A voice rang out from above, followed by a sharp slap to the back of Yamato's head.
"Talking like I'm about to drop dead any second now..."
"Ahaha, of course not! Even if I die, Father will probably still be perfectly fine."
"Never mind whether I die before or after you—just go haul Jack over here so I can check on him. You really went all out just now." Michael pointed at Jack, who lay unconscious in the distance, eyes rolled back.
"Sure, he's got the superhuman endurance of a Fishman, and his Ancient Zoan Mammoth form has insane defense... but against Haki-infused attacks? None of that means squat!"
"Is it really that bad?"
"Any later, and his soul might've flown right out of his mouth!"
Hearing that, Yamato bolted toward Jack.
Though they engaged in daily "persimmon battles," there was no doubt that Jack was Yamato's best brother.
In Yamato's heart, Jack's status was second only to Michael's.
"Father, hurry and take a look at him! If he really dies, who am I supposed to fight in the future?" Yamato shouted while dragging Jack by his feet as she ran back.
Michael's lips twitched.
He had just watched Jack's head scrape against the ground the entire way...
Meeting Yamato was truly the greatest blessing—or curse—Jack could have ever asked for in eight lifetimes.
Michael sighed, then extended his hand. A gentle Holy Light coiled around Jack's body, seeping into his wounds.
The vitality of Jack's formidable physique was instantly activated, and his injuries began to heal.
Before long, his eyes snapped open.
Then he gasped heavily for air.
"Yamato! Do you have any idea that last hit of yours almost actually sent me to the afterlife?! Aren't you being a little too much?! If you haven't fully mastered a move yet, don't use it on your own people!"
Jack patted himself down, then looked up and finally noticed Michael's presence.
"Ah, Michael-sama! When did you get here?"
"Right before you were about to set foot on the highway to the underworld," Michael shrugged.
"Figured you shouldn't meet an untimely end just yet, so I pulled you back as a favor."
"'Shouldn't meet an untimely end just yet'... does that mean I'm still doomed to die young?"
"Why is your reading comprehension suddenly so sharp? Aren't you overthinking things a bit?"
Once Jack confirmed he was mostly unharmed, he slowly stood up.
Then he flashed Michael a sheepish grin. "Well, I almost saw my life flash before my eyes, so I got a little philosophical."
"Alright, you two missed the meeting, so I'll just tell you now—the N.E.W Marine and the Revolutionary Army will soon merge."
"Isn't that just expected?" Jack scratched his head. "Was there even a need to tell us?"
"Exactly. After following Father for so long, if we couldn't even see this coming, we'd be complete idiots," Yamato nodded emphatically, then turned to Michael.
"But in that case, whose organizational structure will take the lead?"
"Lead? There won't be one. The N.E.W Marine and the Revolutionary Army are fundamentally complementary. Both are part of maintaining order under the new system."
Michael answered seriously.
Truthfully, Yamato's way of thinking was likely shared by many among the Marine and Revolutionary Army insiders.
Even knowing cooperation between the two sides was beneficial, they still instinctively emphasized the strengths of their own factions.
It was only natural.
"By the way, have those Ancient Giant-blooded Numbers from the Beasts Pirates been sent to Elbaf yet?"
"Yes, the prisoners were transported to Elbaf jointly by Wano and the Marine."
Yamato's answer didn't surprise Michael.
In fact, Elbaf had maintained a very good relationship with the Marine for many years.
Otherwise, there wouldn't have been outstanding Giant warriors joining the Marine, becoming the dreaded "Giant Vice Admirals" that struck fear into pirates.
The baseline strength of Elbaf's warriors was simply unimaginable for low-to-mid-tier pirates.Even without its top-tier combatants, it was still defined as the nation with the strongest military power.
This was something neither the female warriors of Amazon Lily nor the fish-men of Fish-Man Island could compare to.
Now, Elbaf could basically be considered one of their own—whether through connections with the Marine, ties with Charlotte Linlin, or Michael's own fame in Elbaf as Joy Boy's "angel companion"...
The only lingering doubt was Loki.
Loki seemed to have some small secrets, but nothing major.
Since he hadn't spoken up directly, Michael couldn't be bothered to ask.
After all, whether he knew or not wouldn't affect his friendly relations with Elbaf.
And at this point, they weren't lacking in a combatant who might hover around the level of a Yonko or Admiral.
"Jack, how are you feeling now? Should be mostly healed, right?"
"No problems at all... Michael-sama! You really need to talk to Yamato about this! That was Conqueror's Haki Coating! And she weren't even fully in control of it! Weren't she afraid of going too far and sending me straight to the afterlife!?"
"You'll get used to it, Jack," Michael said sympathetically, patting Jack's knee. "It's not like this is your first time getting beaten up. Haven't you noticed? Every time you take a beating, you come out stronger."
"...I'd still prefer a more normal way of getting stronger."
Jack smacked his lips and grumbled.
Just then, a bright orange-red flame streaked across the sky.
Ginny, in her Logia form, called down from midair.
"Big Brother Michael! Emergency!"
"We just intercepted a Den Den Mushi signal from the World Government—it was meant for the Marine," Ginny said hurriedly after landing. "To be precise, it was for those who were originally loyal to the World Government, the 'Regional Justice Faction'..."
"After being purged from the Marine, they've regrouped under the World Government's orders!"
"And they've sworn a military oath..."
"To bring the Ancient Weapon 'Poseidon' back to Mary Geoise!"
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