Chapter 129: Don Chinjao
In the Kano Country's capital, within the royal palace.
After concluding his conversation with Rhodes and the others, King Charles of the Kano Country convened an emergency meeting, summoning his ministers and Crown Prince Shunai to await news of the battle in Mokomo.
After all, this was the Dragon Slayer they were dealing with, and Charles was prepared for significant casualties.
But it would all be worth it. If they could defeat the renowned Grand Line Dragon Slayer, not only would the Kano Country's prestige soar across the West Blue, but they could also establish connections with the Donquixote Family—overlords of the underworld—and potentially befriend the former Celestial Dragon Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Charles's calculations were running smoothly. A guaranteed win no matter how he looked at it.
"Still no news?"
Charles sat in the head seat, chewing on a cigar with an air of complete confidence.
"We can't reach anyone at all. We've tried contacting everyone in Mokomo using Den Den Mushi, but no one's answering. Perhaps the battle is too intense,"
the Intelligence Minister said helplessly.
Charles frowned, sensing something wasn't right.
It was such a large city, with countless informants both overt and covert. How could it possibly be that not a single one could be contacted?
Could some other force have intervened?
However, to control an entire city in such a short time would require mobilizing vast numbers of personnel—making it impossible to conceal such movements.
Just as Charles was growing increasingly troubled,
the conference room door suddenly burst open. A young messenger rushed in, his face etched with shock and horror. He shouted,
"Something terrible has happened! The latest news is absolutely devastating—"
"Control yourself! What's the point of panicking like this?!"
Charles hadn't even begun to speak before the Intelligence Minister started reprimanding the messenger.
Charles waved off the rebuke and eagerly demanded, "What's the news from Mokomo? Have they captured the Dragon Slayer? What are our losses?"
Crown Prince Shunai and the other ministers all perked up, listening intently.
They'd assumed that with Mokomo's tens of thousands of elite troops, fully armed and led by multiple navy commanders, even notorious pirates would be crushed. The Dragon Slayer's defeat had seemed inevitable.
"This wasn't from our intelligence network—it's from a West Blue newspaper. They've reported the battle at Mokomo in full detail."
"The Dragon Slayer swordsman single-handedly rendered tens of thousands of troops and the entire city's civilian population unconscious with his Conqueror's Haki, then single-handedly overwhelmed all our commanding officers. Even Lord Sai... fell at Rhodes's hands,"
the young messenger shouted, holding up the news transmission.
"What?!"
Everyone in the conference room was stunned into silence.
The Intelligence Minister—previously so composed—nearly knocked over his chair.
Crown Prince Shunai, who'd been sitting with half-closed eyes, now had them wide open in shock.
The assembled ministers were collectively dumbstruck, barely able to process what they'd heard.
Charles stood frozen in place, not even noticing when the cigar fell from his mouth. He just muttered to himself:
"Defeated... completely defeated... but how is this possible? That's the gateway to the Kano Country! More than half our nation's military strength is gathered there. Even if world-renowned pirates attacked, we shouldn't have lost... right?"
"Little Nick, you must be spreading nonsense! This is pure fantasy!"
The Intelligence Minister slammed his hand on the table and scolded: "That's an army of tens of thousands—fully armed and battle-hardened! How could they possibly be subdued by one person?!"
Before Nick could refute this, Crown Prince Shunai had already spoken coldly:
"The Dragon Slayer swordsman possesses the qualities of a king and has awakened Conqueror's Haki. If his power is strong enough, it's theoretically possible for one person to render tens of thousands unconscious."
"But how is it possible that Sai and the other pillars couldn't defeat a single young warrior even fighting together?!"
The others nodded in agreement and looked at Nick with deep suspicion.
Faced with their doubt, Nick could only shout desperately, "The newspaper reports that the Dragon Slayer transformed into a God of Thunder, summoning a sea of lightning and unleashing countless lightning spears that overwhelmed all the commanders at once! In the end, Lord Sai was cut down by the Dragon Slayer with a single sword strike!"
The entire room fell deathly silent. Everyone exchanged glances, shock clearly visible on their faces.
Charles suddenly shot to his feet.
"Summon Don Chinjao immediately!"
Don Chinjao—a legendary figure from before the Great Pirate Era who had battled with hero garp in the New World. At his peak, his bounty had exceeded 500 million berries, making him a truly world-renowned pirate.
Although he'd later been defeated by the Navy Hero Garp and retreated to the West Blue in shame, his reputation remained formidable.
After all, few in the world could claim they'd survive a confrontation with the legendary Garp.
When Don Chinjao returned to the Kano Country years ago, the entire nation had been shaken. The royal family had rushed to Mokomo to welcome him, and the other navy commanders had all bowed their heads in respect, acknowledging the Happo Navy's supremacy.
Led by Charles, with Crown Prince Shunai following closely behind, they traveled to a tranquil garden nestled among verdant hills and clear waters outside the royal capital.
The garden was steeped in peaceful serenity, reminiscent of a hermit's sanctuary.
Before Charles and the others could fully enter, a gentle, calm laugh echoed from within.
"Ah-ho-ho-ho! Charles, what brings you here?"
Charles quickly quickened his pace, entering the garden and approaching a tall figure seated in meditation. Without speaking, he bowed deeply.
It had been Don Chinjao who'd supported Charles's ascension to the throne years ago, and so Charles held the legendary pirate in the highest regard.
"With me, there's no need for such formalities,"
Don Chinjao said with a casual wave of his hand. "And this must be Shunai, correct? You came to visit me as a child—only twelve years old then. I can't believe how much you've grown in what feels like the blink of an eye."
"Lord Chinjao, that was thirteen years ago,"
Shunai said respectfully, stepping forward. A flicker of concern passed through his eyes.
He'd known Don Chinjao was from a bygone era and quite elderly, but he hadn't expected him to be this old—his beard completely white, his movements slow. The man probably needed assistance with daily tasks, let alone wielding a weapon in combat.
Shunai genuinely doubted such an elderly man could stand up to the powerful Dragon Slayer.
"Charles, it's been quite some time since you last visited. What matter requires my attention?"
Don Chinjao slowly stood up. His tall, burly frame blocked out the sunlight—he was a pure martial artist, nearly the height of a Marine Admiral in stature.
"Lord Chinjao, not long ago, an extraordinary genius emerged in the Grand Line. His name is Rhodes. He became famous across the Grand Line before even turning twenty and earned the title 'Dragon Slayer Swordsman.'"
Charles spoke respectfully.
"Oh? Under twenty years old? That is indeed impressive."
Don Chinjao raised his eyelids with slight interest.
Training physical strength and mastering Haki both required significant time investment. To become famous across the seas before age twenty, one would either need an extremely powerful Devil Fruit ability, or be a truly exceptional genius.
Charles smiled bitterly. "Impressive doesn't begin to cover it."
"Recently, he came to the Kano Country and first killed our current Vice-Commander Abu. Then he walked into Mokomo alone and released his Conqueror's Haki, rendering unconscious everyone in the entire city—including our elite navy forces. It's... unbelievable."
"What?!"
Don Chinjao's previously calm expression changed dramatically for the first time.
(End of Chapter)
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