One week later…
In a tavern in Land, a burly man with one eye was drinking quietly when a group of pirates walked in.
"Hah? Isn't this the famous One-Eyed Kiryu, the Daimyo himself? Still hanging around here drinking? You're supposed to be one of the big shots of the new era—what, too scared to head to the New World?"
"Don't tell me you couldn't even handle a Sea Monster?"
"Hahaha, hiding in a bar every day and you call yourself a pirate hero?"
Hearing the pirates laugh at him, the One-Eyed Kiryu's body trembled, then he suddenly burst out laughing.
"Zehahahaha!!"
His laughter mixed with the pirates' mockery, almost like he was laughing at himself too.
And when the others heard that weird, almost crazy laugh, the bar fell quiet.
A pirate with a ninja headband scoffed.
"A coward who doesn't even dare set sail—what's left for you? You're just waiting to die here. But your time is almost up.
The World Government has been formed, and pirates around the Land of Water are already being wiped out. It won't be long before the Marines get here. Guys like you? You're done for."
"How pathetic," another pirate added with disdain.
Now that the Marines were starting to show up in full force, most pirates had already started leaving the waters near the Shinobi continent and were heading toward the New World.
Staying here was just too dangerous.
"A worthless Zoan-type fruit. Even if it's a Zoan, at least get a Ninja Beast type. But a chameleon? Seriously?
What a joke, old man."
Another well-known pirate mocked him.
These guys weren't just any pirates—they all had Devil Fruit powers.
They weren't insanely strong, but compared to the One-Eyed Kiryu, their powers were on a whole different level.
Ninja Beast-type fruits had all the basics of Zoan types, but also gave you special abilities from ninja beasts.
The gap between fruits can be huge sometimes.
And when Kiryu's crew heard all these insults, they were shaking with rage.
Gaska, the vice-captain of Kiryu's crew, suddenly stood up from his seat, his face turning bright red.
"Watch your mouth."
"What's wrong with a chameleon?"
"A chameleon is still a dragon. Orochimaru is a dragon. Our captain is a dragon. You ignorant trash."
Seeing how furious and embarrassed Gaska was, the other pirates in the tavern stopped mocking and quietly went back to their seats.
After a while, someone finally couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Pfft… hahahaha!!!"
"He actually said a chameleon is a dragon?"
"Hahaha, what a joke. These guys are hilarious."
"These are the pirates Shanks once acknowledged? I thought they'd be something more."
"Hahaha, they're not much after all."
"..."
Kiryu's crew clenched their teeth in anger as they listened to the mockery.
But Kiryu didn't seem to care at all. Even the tavern owner, Sancha, just smiled and looked at him.
Back then, this guy was just a normal person, but he once fought alongside Ross Jess against the ninjas. He used to be just a nobody, but now, he's a Devil Fruit user.
If nothing else, just the fact that he's been staying here this long shows he's not an ordinary guy.
Kiryu had already been here for a few months. He wanted to leave, but the time wasn't right. He had to be patient.
As the sun set, people slowly left the tavern. Kiryu and his crew also headed back to the port.
"Boss, how long do we have to wait before we set sail? We're running out of time. The World Government's forces could show up any day now. If they do, we won't be able to stay here anymore."
Gaska frowned. They had already wasted too much time.
By now, many pirates had already entered the New World and received the power of the Dragon Veins, growing stronger. But they were still stuck here, wasting time.
"The time isn't right yet—but it's close.
The World Government has started moving, and Shanks is probably about to strike back too."
Kiryu was anxious too, but he knew rushing wouldn't help.
Ross Jess and Kagalo had left from the southern seas near the Land of Wind. The only major concern in that area was Orochimaru.
But the sea Kiryu was in had Shanks watching over it.
Trying to make a move under Shanks's nose meant they had to be extremely careful. Without a perfect plan, Kiryu wouldn't dare to act.
Small-time pirates like them couldn't go up against powerful forces alone, so they had to work together.
What Ross Jess and Kagalo told Kiryu was simple: he didn't have to do anything—but he absolutely couldn't mess up.
Ross Jess and Kagalo were facing Orochimaru. But Kiryu's side was even more complicated. Of course, danger often came with opportunity.
"Do you really think the Revolutionary Army will send someone?"
Gaska wasn't so sure. The messages they sent earlier seemed to vanish without a trace.
"Don't worry. Maybe the Revolutionary Army doesn't care about others, but I once saved that kid from the Uzumaki clan.
The leader of the Revolutionary Army is also from the Uzumaki clan. They'll send someone eventually. It's just that the Revolutionary Army is always good at hiding. It's not time yet."
As Kiryu spoke, his long tongue kept flicking out of his mouth, spraying spit everywhere.
Even if a chameleon counts as a dragon, Kiryu looked nothing like Orochimaru.
Orochimaru had an intimidating presence. Just standing there, he gave off a powerful, commanding vibe.
But Kiryu, while clearly strong, always looked a bit shady—especially when he talked, with that tongue sticking out of his mouth. "Creepy" didn't even begin to describe it.
Still, appearances can be deceiving.
"But the Revolutionary Army might not want to work with pirates. We're not really on the same side, after all."
Gaska was a little worried.
Unlike regular pirates, these old-timers relied not just on strength and presence, but more importantly, on their brains.
It couldn't be helped. Any pirate with a bit of ambition needed to be smart. Otherwise, there was no way to survive in this new era that Shanks had created.
Without enough brains, you couldn't even understand what was happening in the world—let alone anything else.
It wasn't just pirates like them. Even someone as powerful as Jiken had gone to recruit Dark.
Jiken didn't need much from others, but even with his pride, he knew he needed someone who could see the bigger picture.
His respect for Shanks was real. To put it simply, he thought Shanks was the one who should really be his strategist.
But to win over Shanks, Jiken had to deal with Dark first. That kind of brainpower—only top-tier fighters had it.
"It doesn't matter if we're different. What matters is we can show up in front of the Revolutionary Army, and we're qualified to work with them."
Kiryu licked his lips, grinning with a mix of confidence and sleaziness.
Of course, there was one more thing he didn't say out loud. Besides the basic requirements, there was something even more important.
That was Ross Jess's Devil Fruit power.
It was the strangest power Kiryu had ever seen—so strong it could even change reality. Combined with Ross Jess's insane luck, that's why Kiryu chose to bet everything on East Blue.
When Shanks set sail from East Blue toward the New World, most pirates had already figured it out.
They could go through any other sea, but East Blue? No way.
How to put it?
Shanks was there. If you ran into him—what then? You came all this way, so not fighting would feel like a missed chance of a lifetime.
But if you did fight? With what? There was no way you could win.
That's why everyone understood: if you were unlucky enough to run into Shanks, you'd be stuck. Move forward or back—both were bad options. It might even break your spirit completely.
It was better to leave from another sea, and once you reached the New World, you might be strong enough to actually face Shanks. At least then you'd have a shot.
But Kiryu was different. His ambition was huge.
So he chose to leave from East Blue and wait there for the right chance.
After hearing what his captain said, Gaska nodded. Everything had a price. What they were doing was no different from gambling.
"Captain…"
Gaska was about to speak when, in the blink of an eye, he realized his captain was gone.
Right after that, a chill ran down Gaska's spine.
His battle instincts—sharpened from surviving big fights—were warning him: danger was locked on to him.
His right hand moved on its own, gripping his gun.
The gun packed a punch—if it hit. And Gaska was someone who could make that shot count.
Tap!
Tap!
Tap!
Heavy, slow footsteps echoed from the deck of Kiryu's ship. As the steps got closer, everyone started to feel an overwhelming pressure.
Then a huge shadow appeared on the upper deck.
His body was like a wall of steel, way too strong to be human. His upper body was packed with thick muscles like a shield, and even in the dark, you could see the terrifying shape of them.
Just seeing that massive body made their hearts race without control. A deep fear took over—pure helplessness.
"That guy… he's here for us, right?"
Right after someone said that, the man on the ship moved.
Gaska didn't even catch how he attacked. All he saw was a blur flash by.
Boom!!
A muffled boom rang out, splitting the air. In the darkness, Kiryu was forced out of hiding.
His long tongue hung at the side of his mouth, and the colors on his body shifted and flowed. The moment he spotted the enemy, he activated his Devil Fruit power and transformed into his chameleon form.
"Zehahaha!!"
A wild look appeared in Kiryu's eyes as he grinned and burst into laughter.
The ones who came weren't from the Revolutionary Army, but... Shanks' crew. Interesting. Hahaha. They're here. Finally, they're here.
"So strong… as expected of the Blade-less Pirates' strongest shield."
"The famous Daimyo Jin, the third-ranked officer of the Blade-less Pirates… What's he doing here?"
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