Chapter 118: Gathering
As Rhodes listened, he finally understood why the title of Dragon Slayer, while clearly holding far greater significance than the Seven Warlords of the Sea, still couldn't meet the requirements for advancement in his Book of Knowledge.
It was because the title was so obscure and ancient.
Few knew of it, and even fewer truly revered it.
The pirate world was filled with countless bizarre creatures—if someone called something a dragon, then it was a dragon.
Rhodes's reputation spread far and wide primarily due to his youth, talent, potential, and future prospects as a "young swordsman"—a promise of greatness to come.
But compared to long-established, world-renowned pirates and Warlords, his fame still paled in comparison.
In a place like the West Blue, people had merely heard rumors of him, and if one's memory wasn't particularly sharp, they could easily forget.
After all, there were so many talented and powerful individuals across the seas, and many Supernovas had emerged from the West Blue alone.
Ultimately, rumors were just rumors.
Most people in the one piece world shared a certain trait: without witnessing something firsthand, without experiencing it personally, they wouldn't take even famous figures seriously.
Just like generations of Supernovas—almost all of them harbored lofty ambitions, plotting to challenge the Four Emperors before even setting foot in the New World.
Weren't the Four Emperors' publicized battle records astounding enough?
"This should be my last period of leisure," Rhodes smiled inwardly.
Once he became a Warlord, his name and portrait would be officially disseminated throughout the world by the World Government—from royalty to commoners, more widely circulated than any pirate bounty poster.
By then, it would be difficult to experience moments like this, casually sitting around eating snake meat with strangers who didn't recognize him.
Time passed quickly as they chatted, and the martial arts tournament was about to begin, so the three of them headed down the mountain.
Yuffie held noble status, but because she'd come in disguise, she sat in the ordinary VIP section rather than the royal box.
Rhodes naturally preferred sitting with Princess Yuffie over joining Larry, the Revolutionary Army member who was undoubtedly much older and less pleasant company. Even though she was dressed as a man, just listening to her soft, melodious voice was comforting.
The valley fell completely silent, with elite members of the Happo Navy stationed everywhere.
The audience sat there, hardly daring to breathe too loudly.
This was the Kano Country's annual gathering of underworld bosses to resolve conflicts and divide spheres of influence.
Anyone who dared cause trouble would offend the entire Kano Country and face certain death.
"Here they come, here they come!"
The crowd erupted in excitement as a group filed onto the platform—the elevated seating area reserved for underworld bosses.
"Boss Larry of Black Harbor!"
"The 'Godfather' of the West Blue, Capone Bege!"
Each time a boss took the stage, a flurry of discussion erupted from the audience—a mixture of envy, resentment, and awe.
Every single one of these individuals wielded immense power.
Someone like Capone Bege was incredibly famous throughout the West Blue underworld, revered as the Godfather of the West Blue!
"There are so many high-ranking figures in the VIP section! Some of them used to be pirates with bounties of forty or fifty million berries!"
The audience buzzed with amazement, many recognizing familiar faces.
Then a final figure stepped forward, and the entire venue fell deathly silent.
Everyone stared solemnly at the towering man with a skull tattoo on his left shoulder.
"The Vice-Commander of the Happo Navy!"
"Abu!"
Abu commanded the highest prestige among everyone present.
He had once fought alongside Chinjao in the New World and was counted among the strongest of the Happo Navy. His strength—even in a relatively small region like the West Blue—was like that of a true dragon, easily capable of suppressing the Kano Country's entire underground world.
Seeing Abu's commanding aura as he took the stage, someone on the platform couldn't help but snort derisively.
Abu ignored the provocation, settling into his seat. Then, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of something that made his expression turn cold.
It was Capone Bege's lieutenant, Gotti.
The West Blue Godfather himself remained composed, allowing his subordinate to express discontent. This way, they wouldn't directly challenge the authority of the Happo Navy in the Kano Country, nor would they appear weak before other underworld bosses. It was a masterful political maneuver.
Larry sat off to the side, observing the situation nervously, not daring to intervene in a confrontation of this magnitude.
He felt increasingly anxious. Hadn't they said the commander from headquarters had already arrived? Where was he?!
Abu calmed himself and settled into his chair. He nodded slightly toward Yuffie and Hans in the VIP section, then spoke in a slow, authoritative voice:
"Brothers and friends from the underground world of the Kano Country's major cities."
"Today marks our annual gathering to divide spheres of influence and settle old grudges through martial competition. Everything will be decided by victory or defeat. After today, there shall be no further disputes over these matters."
"Whoever disrupts the order of the Kano Country will face punishment from the Happo Navy."
As soon as he spoke, absolute silence fell over the audience—no one dared ignore his words.
In the Kano Country, the Happo Navy represented the ultimate deterrent, more terrifying to these underworld figures than even the royal family itself.
And the moment he finished speaking, as if he'd been waiting for this exact moment, Capone Bege looked toward Larry and said calmly:
"Larry, this year you should surrender your share of Black Harbor's interests."
"Last time, you had Siyue. Who do you have this time?"
Capone Bege waved his hand dismissively, and Gotti swiftly stepped forward.
Using a running start, he leaped across several meters, landing from the platform directly onto the fighting ring. He then glared at Larry with an overtly provocative expression.
Larry's face darkened, his hands gripping the armrests of his chair tightly.
At last year's martial arts tournament, with Commander Siyue present, they'd managed to seize a portion of Black Harbor's interests from Capone Bege's organization.
Now, judging by the Godfather's attitude and tone, Siyue's death was likely directly connected to him!
"He's coming with hostile intent..."
Larry glanced around at his subordinates and shook his head slightly.
He knew none of them were a match for Gotti's strength.
"I can only stall for time. Once Commander Rhodes shows up, we'll naturally handle this situation."
He sighed softly and slowly rose to his feet.
With a single effortless leap, he shot onto the ring like an arrow, needing no running start.
"Excellent!"
The audience erupted in cheers.
Larry was a local figure, renowned throughout the Black Harbor area for his integrity and honor. They naturally favored Larry over Capone Bege, who was viewed as an outsider and aggressor.
"Please!"
Gotti said, then suddenly launched forward, his body springing from the ground like a coiled spring, delivering a powerful rising punch straight toward Larry's face.
His attack was not only unexpected but also utilized the full rotational power of his hips and core. It was incredibly fast, producing a sharp, tearing sound through the air. The sheer force of that single punch sent shockwaves of alarm through the audience.
Larry, worthy of being one of Black Harbor's boss-level fighters, scowled but managed to raise both hands, barely blocking the strike.
However, Gotti's martial arts were extraordinary. When one punch was blocked, he immediately followed with another, then transitioned seamlessly into elbow and knee strikes.
His combination attacks came like a violent storm, utterly relentless. A single blocked opening put the aging Larry on the defensive.
Larry's expression darkened—he hadn't expected Gotti's strength to have improved so dramatically over the past year.
"You're too old!"
Gotti barked arrogantly.
Having seized the advantage, he attacked with incredible speed, each punch and kick packed with tremendous power. His ferocious onslaught left Larry struggling just to maintain his guard.
The audience watched in tense silence as Black Harbor's Boss Larry was brutally pressured by Capone Bege's lieutenant.
The dignitaries on the platform frowned slightly, unaware that even one of Capone Bege's subordinates possessed such formidable prowess.
Rhodes, seated in the VIP section, also frowned. At this rate, Larry was doomed to lose.
Sure enough, the outcome was decided quickly.
Larry was defeated!
(End of Chapter)
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