Chapter 131: The Gathering of the Masses
"Alright, I accept."
Rhodes nodded in agreement. He had no reason to refuse. His original intention had been to conquer the Kano Country directly through military force, then leverage his status as a Warlord to reform it from top to bottom—completing the Revolutionary Army's mission as efficiently as possible.
What could be more efficient than defeating Don Chinjao in public?
"Ten days from now, we'll await your arrival atop Mount Kano in the royal capital."
Shunai bowed respectfully before leading his entourage away.
Before leaving, Yuffie silently glanced back at Rhodes. The hostile relationship between their factions made her afraid to reveal her feelings. Ultimately, she could only sigh softly, suppressing her budding emotions.
After Shunai, Yuffie, and the others had departed, Gates approached with a nervous expression.
"Sir Rhodes, are you really going to accept this challenge?"
"A Supreme Grade blade—it would be a waste not to claim it."
Rhodes shrugged casually.
Supreme Grade blades held an irresistible allure for swordsmen. While Rhodes wasn't obsessive about such things, having one was certainly better than not. It had been one of his original objectives in coming to the Kano Country anyway.
Moreover, each renowned blade possessed its own unique characteristics, imbued with a distinct spirit that could benefit one's path toward becoming a Great Swordsman. Best to collect them when the opportunity arose.
"But Don Chinjao is a legendary figure from a bygone era..."
Gates said worriedly.
In the eyes of people like him throughout the Kano Country, Don Chinjao was living legend—the pride of their nation, an unrivaled existence.
Although Gates had never witnessed Chinjao in combat personally, the countless stories told throughout the Kano Country were sufficient testament to the old warrior's prowess.
"His era has passed."
Rhodes shook his head calmly, hands clasped behind his back as he gazed into the distance.
Yukiko stood obediently beside him, her bright eyes filled with pure admiration.
After recent events, Rhodes's image had been magnified tremendously in the little girl's mind—perhaps not far from that of an omnipotent god.
Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
Due to the considerable distance between the capital and Mokomo, Rhodes set out early in the morning. He traveled alone, leaving Gates and Yukiko behind, as they were ordinary civilians. If anything went wrong during the battle, Rhodes might not be able to protect them.
Others had arrived much earlier than Rhodes.
Upon hearing the news, people had rushed to the capital from all over the Kano Country and even from across the West Blue. If ten days weren't such a short timeframe, visitors from the Grand Line would likely have arrived as well.
After all, this battle was truly breathtaking—a clash between eras.
In a remarkably short period, the Kano Country's capital had gathered most of the West Blue's renowned masters.
The royal guards were on edge.
If these masters erupted in conflict, they could easily overturn the entire capital. However, everyone waited in relative silence, anticipating the arrival of the two combatants.
Even kings and nobles from neighboring West Blue kingdoms, along with officials from the nearby World Government branches, had gathered at the battle site, ready to witness this historic clash.
Mount Kano—a nearly hundred-meter-high peak outside the capital—
was so named because it had been planted with varieties of flowers and trees from all over the world.
At the mountain's base, countless figures gathered on both sides of the road, each radiating a powerful aura, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Isn't that Eric from the Twin Moon Dojo? He's a towering figure among West Blue swordsmen—known as the greatest swordsman in the West Blue."
"That's nothing! Countless powerful figures are here today. I heard even the grand master from the Kingdom of Yuezhi came."
"Tsk, I heard Don Chinjao beat that guy down when he first returned to the West Blue years ago,"
someone blurted out carelessly.
His companion immediately covered his mouth. "Watch what you say! We can't speak so casually about such important figures. If they overhear you, there'll be consequences."
The person who'd spoken earlier paled and fell silent.
Near the mountain's base,
a dozen figures draped in Revolutionary Army-style cloaks stood together.
They were West Army Commander Morley, along with Hela and other Revolutionary Army operatives.
"The impact of this battle is truly enormous. If something goes wrong, we might not be able to control the situation,"
one of Morley's adjutants muttered, glancing around warily.
Don Chinjao's legendary fame and the news of his return to battle against the Dragon Slayer had attracted countless powerful warriors who'd been living in seclusion throughout the West Blue.
Of course, Morley and his forces weren't afraid of these individuals scattered and alone, but if they somehow united, it would become extremely troublesome.
Morley narrowed his eyes slightly, deep in thought.
With Rhodes's awakening of Conqueror's Haki, his importance within the Revolutionary Army had been elevated to an even higher level—potentially surpassing even Sabo, who was being groomed as the future Chief of Staff.
Because those who awakened Conqueror's Haki were almost invariably natural-born leaders.
The dream of overthrowing the World Government was too arduous, too monumental to accomplish in a single generation. Supreme Commander Dragon didn't expect to see it completed in his lifetime. Rhodes, having awakened Conqueror's Haki, clearly possessed all the requirements to serve as leader of the next generation of the Revolutionary Army.
"Setting that aside for now—the intelligence about the Kano Country's national treasure has been passed to Rhodes, correct?"
"It has been delivered," Hela confirmed.
The Revolutionary Army's intelligence network was among the finest in the world. Although King Charles had done an exceptional job keeping the national treasure secret, nothing could stop the pervasive reach of the Revolutionary Army.
"We'll simply wait and witness the final clash between these two. If Rhodes wins, everything proceeds smoothly. If he loses..."
Morley spoke with rare, cold determination: "You all understand what must be done."
Hela and the others nodded solemnly.
In the relatively outer areas,
most of the gathered people were young men and women in their twenties and thirties—talented youths who had come alongside their masters and mentors.
As the foremost swordsman of Tsukihana Island, Silvia was formidable, beautiful, and renowned. Many young talents gathered around her, attempting to show off and gain her attention.
However, her expression remained stern and unresponsive. Her gaze was fixed on the far end of the road, as if anticipating a particular figure's arrival.
"Who do you think is stronger—the Dragon Slayer swordsman or Don Chinjao?"
a handsome young man asked, trying to draw her into conversation.
"Obviously Don Chinjao. He was a great figure of the previous era who once competed for supremacy alongside legendary figures like Pirate King Roger! At his peak, his bounty exceeded 500 million berries."
"That's not necessarily true. The Dragon Slayer swordsman single-handedly conquered an entire city and defeated tens of thousands of Kano Country naval forces. His achievements are no less impressive than Don Chinjao's. Not to mention that Don Chinjao is quite elderly now—whether he can even fight properly anymore is questionable."
The young warriors enthusiastically debated the topic.
Silvia was momentarily lost in thought, remembering when Rhodes had instantly defeated her in their duel.
"So you're a master of this caliber? No wonder you said I'd challenged the wrong opponent."
She'd initially thought Rhodes was mocking her, and the memory made her cheeks flush slightly with embarrassment.
"Women can become Great Swordsmen too."
Remembering Rhodes's words, Silvia's face lit up with fierce determination. She decided that after witnessing this decisive battle, she would set out for the Grand Line and forge her own legendary path!
As twilight deepened and lanterns along both sides of the road were lit, many in the crowd had grown impatient and began to grumble.
Suddenly, a young man in white clothing walked leisurely from the far end of the road.
"Finally."
Seeing the newcomer, Silvia's typically cold expression suddenly bloomed into a radiant smile—like an iceberg thawing under spring sun, stunning and incomparable in its beauty.
(End of Chapter)
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