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Although Jason was prepared to swim over, he chose not to change his route and continued heading toward Windmill Village.
Three days later, I successfully arrived at the port of Windmill Village. I hadn't encountered the Lord of the Coast; that guy didn't show up every time. After getting beaten several times by Jason, he had started appearing less frequently.
Once off the boat, Jason went straight to Makino's bar because he was thirsty.
"Makino! I'd like a glass of orange juice! Hurry up!"
"Ah! Mr. Jason, it's been a long time! You haven't been back in over six months, right? Luffy often asks why you haven't visited!"
Makino's eyes lit up when she saw Jason, quickly handing over a cold beer. Jason had spent a lot of time here in recent years, and they had become good friends.
After finishing a large glass of juice, Jason wiped his mouth.
"Ah~ that's refreshing! Why don't you hide from the Marines? Hehe!"
Other than Mr. Garp, Jason didn't reveal his identity to Makino and the others. The people in Windmill Village only thought of Jason as a wandering swordsman.
"Is there new beer in the store? Want to try it?" Makino asked.
"No, no, I don't like that stuff. Another glass of juice, please!"
"Sure, one moment!"
Just as Makino turned to fetch the juice, the door swung open.
"Where's Jason?"
Luffy, just four years old, burst into the bar and rushed towards Jason! Jason scooped him up by the neck!
"What do you want this time?"
"Come on, Jason! Let me go! This is so embarrassing!"
Jason set Luffy down, and Luffy immediately sulked away.
Luffy had been raised in Windmill Village by Mr. Garp until he turned seven. It was only after eating the Gum-Gum Fruit that Mr. Garp took him to Dadan.
"I'm just passing through and will leave tomorrow!"
"Oh, that's such a pity! I thought Mr. Jason would stick around longer!"
Luffy perked up as soon as he heard Jason was leaving. He forgot his sulking in an instant.
"What? Jason, you're leaving tomorrow? That means you won't have time to tell me about your adventures over the past six months!"
Luffy had always dreamed of grand sea adventures ever since he spent time with Shanks, which fueled his ambition to become the Pirate King!
"Yep, I'll have to tell you about it next time! This time, I'm planning something big! I promise I'll fill you in on everything then!"
Luffy's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"A big event? What is it? Can I come with you?"
"Of course... not!" Jason chuckled, knowing Mr. Garp would kill him for that.
Luffy's smile faded as Jason's last words sank in, but Makino was amused.
"Darn it, Jason! When I grow up, I'm going to go on adventures by myself!"
"Alright, don't be upset! Come have a glass of juice! It's on me today!"
"Oh, thanks!"
Luffy took the juice, beaming with joy.
...
Jason left Windmill Village early the next morning, pulled out his map, and confirmed the location closest to the Sabaody Archipelago. He rowed his boat there.
After several days of travel, he finally arrived at the edge of the Sabaody Archipelago.
Originally, Jason planned to swim over directly, but then he thought, what if there are boats? So he rowed his little boat all the way into the Calm Belt.
...
Three days later.
Near the Sabaody Archipelago.
Jason tossed his boat into the water, jumped in, and waved at a Sea King, which promptly set off.
On the first day, he encountered several of them all at once. After dispatching a few oddly shaped Sea Kings, he had a sudden idea and placed his blade at one's neck!
"I don't know if you understand me. Pull me to Marijoa, or I'll chop you to pieces! Nod if you get it!"
With a surge of Conqueror's Haki, Jason successfully coerced a Sea King into helping him.
Releasing the Sea King, Jason steered his boat toward the Sabaody Archipelago.
After being in this world for over ten years, it was Jason's first time visiting the Sabaody Archipelago.
The Sabaody Archipelago is a massive mangrove forest formed from the roots of a giant mangrove tree, known as the Yarukiman Mangrove. The roots branch out into a total of 79 islands, each corresponding to one root.
Behind the Sabaody Archipelago lies the Red Line, and perched atop it is the Holy Land Marijoa, home to the Celestial Dragons, close to Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
This region is the most prosperous part of the entire pirate world! Countless merchants and pirates travel through here.
To reach the second half of the Grand Line, one must either pass through Fish-Man Island or cross the Red Line.
The nearest spot to Jason was Soap Bubble Park on No. 33, which is where he had logged in.
"How spectacular!"
If he hadn't seen it himself, Jason would have found it hard to believe a tree of such magnitude existed in this world. It grew from the depths of the sea!
The splendor is real, the prosperity genuine, but the chaos is palpable!
Jason witnessed no less than three fights within just half an hour of landing! They were all pirates causing trouble!
"Does the Marine not care? This place isn't far from their headquarters!"
This was one of the oddities that puzzled Jason. In the original series, the security of the Sabaody Archipelago, the center of the entire world, was in utter disarray, allowing countless criminals with bounties to come and go freely!
And yet, it was so close to the Holy Land of Marijoa and Marine Headquarters!
After a few hours, Jason realized it wasn't that the Marine didn't care; rather, they couldn't control it...
Fights broke out on nearly every island. In just a few hours, Jason witnessed dozens of clashes, mostly involving pirates.
While dining at a restaurant, four brawls erupted in the same place alone! If all those fighters were arrested and shoved into Impel Down, it would likely overflow.
As he walked, he arrived at Island G13.
"Let me think... is there something familiar about this place? Never mind!"
Jason felt a hint of familiarity, but it had been so long that he couldn't quite place it.
Initially, he was just wandering around, knowing that Fisher Tiger would cause trouble soon, but without specifics, he would await chaos before acting.
While exploring, Jason found a bar situated in a remote area. There was only one establishment, and the rest was grassy land. Curious about why there was a bar here, he decided to step inside.
"Shakky's Rip-Off Bar"
"Oh, this is it! Perfect!"
Suddenly, it hit him—this was where Rayleigh and Shakky lived!
"Since I'm already here, why not take a look?"
He pushed open the door and entered.
"Hey! Look at this young and handsome guy! What would you like to drink?"
"Uh... just juice, please!"
'' Here you go'' she served him something he did not wish to question
The woman in front of him looked quite youthful, probably in her thirties, dressed in red short sleeves and tight pants, holding a cigarette while leaning on her hand and gazing at Jason with intrigue.
If he was right, this must be Shakky.
"What's wrong, brother?" Shakky asked, noticing Jason lost in thought.
"Ah, it's nothing, really!"
He then raised his glass and took a sip of the juice.
"What an interesting guy!" Shakky remarked.
As time passed, Jason noticed it was getting late.
"Ms. Shakky, do you know of any accommodations around here?"
"You want a place to stay? It's a bit further! Most of the accommodations are on the islands past No. 70!"
"Forget it, then! I'll stay anywhere! Thanks for your hospitality; I'll come back tomorrow!"
Jason paid for his juice and left without being cheated.
The next evening, Jason returned to Shakky's bar.
"Oh, it's the young brother from yesterday! Having juice again today? I forgot to ask your name yesterday!"
"Sure! My name is Jason! Portgas D. Jason! I'm from the East Blue!"
"Wait, isn't there a notorious pirate with a bounty of 50 million named Portgas D. Jason?"
"Yep! That's me!"
"What brings you here? Are you planning to become a pirate?"
She recognized Jason's name and had seen his bounty notice, but she hadn't expected him to come here alone; it's easy to not recognize someone who has grown considerably.
"No, I'm not planning on becoming a pirate just yet! I just heard this is the center of the world and that there are mermaids under the sea. I wanted to see it for myself!"
"Is that so?"
"Of course!"
They chatted about various light topics.
Then, a gentle yet powerful voice boomed from outside, "Shakky! I'm back!"
The door swung open to reveal an older man clad in a vest, shorts, slippers, and a cape.
"Rayleigh! Welcome back!"
Jason noticed Shakky calling the man Rayleigh and turned to look at him. Their eyes met, creating a tense atmosphere, as if sparks were flying.
Jason's expression hardened. Silvers Rayleigh? Even with age, his gaze was sharp!
Rayleigh was also taken aback, surprised by Jason's intensity. Were young people like this nowadays?
But neither harbored any malicious intent; their fierce gazes were merely instinctive reactions.
"It seems we have a distinguished guest today!" Shakky remarked, astonished as she realized Jason had caught Rayleigh's attention.
She knew how powerful Rayleigh was. The World Government and Marine had refrained from capturing him even though they knew he lived here, showcasing his strength in comparison to others.
Jason was more powerful than Shakky had anticipated. She proceeded to introduce the two.
The trio sat and enjoyed drinks together—of course, Jason stuck to juice.
Ten days passed, and Jason became entirely comfortable with the two.
"Brother Jason, drinking is a true man's romance!"
"No way, that stuff doesn't taste good! I still prefer sweet juice!"
Jason was unmoved by Rayleigh's attempts. Anyone willing to sell himself into slavery for a drink was definitely not serious.
"Alright, but brother Jason, don't you have anything to do? Do you just come here every day to drink... juice?"
"Of course I do! But I'm still figuring things out! Give me a moment!
Actually, there's one thing I want to ask you, Uncle Rayleigh!"
"Oh? What do you want to bother this old man for?"
"I'd like to have a spar with you!"
One of Jason's goals this time was to assess his own strength accurately. He can't just rely on the system's evaluations!
Rayleigh is a great training partner—he's the vice-captain of the Pirate King! Even though he is older, he can still match a general!
"Is that so? But I don't want to go all out!"
"I'll buy you a drink afterward!"
"Deal!"
Jason: ...
The two found an open area and faced each other, with Shakky watching curiously from a distance, eager to see how strong Jason really was.
"Uncle Rayleigh! Are you ready?"
"Of course, you can strike at any moment! Don't forget our drink promise!"
"Absolutely! Uncle Rayleigh, be careful!"
Jason unleashed an immense wave of Conqueror's Haki and charged at Rayleigh!
"Huh? Conqueror's Haki?"
Rayleigh and Shakky exchanged glances, surprised, as extremely few possess that ability!
Without hesitation, Rayleigh also unleashed his own Conqueror's Haki!
Their presences clashed in the air, even tearing apart dark clouds in the sky, uprooting nearby plants, and cracking trees!
Eventually, the two forces exploded, sending Jason stumbling back three steps while Rayleigh took two. This shocked Rayleigh!
What had changed in the seven years since Devils Guardian disappeared with the Demon Child? How could a kid grow to be so formidable?
While Jason remained humble in their battle of wills, the competition wasn't over!
Jason unsheathed his famous sword, and charged directly at Rayleigh. In response, Rayleigh drew his own sword, and they clashed fiercely.
The duel became a showcase of their swordsmanship and physical skills, with the occasional outrageous flying slash and the sound of clashing metal.
Flying slashes cut through the surrounding ground and trees, creating enormous clouds of smoke and dust.
The battle escalated to the point where it became almost invisible. Even on nearby islands, people noticed the commotion and looked on from a distance.
"What is that?"
"Are two people fighting?"
"Two humans? How could they unleash such destruction? Are they monsters?"
Onlookers gawked in disbelief.
Ten minutes later, Rayleigh was beginning to tire. At over 60 years old, his stamina could only hold out so long!
Finally, Rayleigh unleashed a powerful flying slash, and Jason met it with his own, creating a thunderous shockwave in the air that devastated the ground further, sending clouds of debris soaring.
As Jason prepared to strike again, he heard Rayleigh's voice call out.
"Enough! No more fighting, brother Jason! A spar is all good and fun, but this is getting out of hand!"
"Oh, I won't fight anymore. Uncle Rayleigh, you're getting tougher as the years go by; I can't keep up!"
"This old man can tell! You sure are impressive for someone so young. Roger wasn't half as strong as you at your age. Are all the newcomers today this extraordinary?"
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