"Hasshoken: 'Dragon Drill Nail'!"
Before the Jewel Iceberg, Chin Jao wrapped his Armament Haki around his cone-shaped pointed head and charged forward with all his might.
With just one strike, he shattered the thick ice that had covered the area for years, creating a massive fissure several kilometers long and dozens of meters deep.
This technique was the only way to break through the ice cap of the Jewel Iceberg—the sole method to retrieve Chin Jao's treasure...
And the fissure he created now was even larger than the one he had made in the past.
This proved that, through years of suppression and training, his strength and Armament Haki had only grown stronger.
Now that he had found an outlet for release, he had not only regained his former peak but surpassed it, reaching new heights.
Watching Chin Jao's technique from the side, Michael nodded slightly.
Though Chin Jao hadn't shown much in the original story, this single move was already on par with Garp's 'Fist Bone Impact' from when the old man had fought against Shiki.
And Garp had actually struggled a little bit against Chin Jao back then—to counter his cone head, Garp had flattened eight mountains in training just to hammer Chin Jao's head in during their clash.
That was Garp in his forties.
From this indirect comparison, even if the current Red-Haired Shanks were to face Chin Jao head-on now, he might not stand a chance against this version of Chin Jao, who had not only regained his power but surpassed his former peak.
Yet despite being such a formidable figure, Chin Jao could only cast one last, tearful glance at his treasure before turning away.
He feared that if he looked any longer, he wouldn't be able to hold back his tears.
Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that after Garp's punch had turned his treasure into a frozen deposit, just when it was finally time to withdraw it, another Marine would swoop in and take it all.
And the worst part?
He couldn't even beat this damn demon!
Michael, of course, couldn't care less about Chin Jao's current feelings.
But he was certain that Chin Jao must be overjoyed to hand over his fortune to him.
After all, his restored head was a priceless treasure no amount of money could buy.
"So, aside from that old man earlier, this is your real target, isn't it?" Crocodile crossed her arms while looking at Michael.
"The treasure here—rough estimates put it at no less than 10 billion Berries..."
"It's probably quite a bit more than your estimate," Michael shrugged. "This is the life savings of a legendary pirate, after all."
While Michael and Crocodile were still debating the exact value, Stella had already molded a massive Sky Island primarily composed of Island Cloud.
"Enough talking. Right now, it's just the three of us here... Let's hurry up and move it! We still need to transport it back to Alabasta for Rosinante to account for it..." Stella clicked her tongue and muttered.
"If I'd known you were here for money, we should've just brought Rosinante along! As a Gold-Gold Fruit user, moving all this gold would've been a breeze."
*****
News of Chin Jao's return to the seas as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea spread far and wide, naturally following the announcements of Red-Haired Shanks and Doflamingo.
These three choices left the entire pirate world somewhat puzzled.
Who the fuck are they?
Among the three, Doflamingo was likely the most well-known.
After all, pirates often had dealings with the underworld.
So the name "Joker," which had risen to prominence in the underworld recently, wasn't unfamiliar...
But he didn't really count as a pirate, did he?
As for Red-Haired Shanks, he was practically unknown.
Aside from rumors that he had once been an apprentice on Roger's crew, there wasn't much else to go on.
And then there was this old man called Chin Jao—a relic of a bygone era.
Over a decade ago, he had carried a bounty exceeding 500 million Berries!
But after being defeated by the Marine Hero Garp, he had completely vanished from the seas!
Now, suddenly reappearing—how much of his former strength could he possibly retain?
So when the information about these three new Shichibukai was announced, the first reaction among pirates was...
Exp!
They're all just experience points for us!
One's old! Another's young!
Take them down, and we'll become the new Shichibukai!
Compared to the elusive Red-Haired Shanks and Doflamingo, Chin Jao's location was fixed...
Just head to the Kano Country, and you'd find him.
But unfortunately...
Every pirate who tried to exploit this "easy target" ended up buried in the Kano Country.
Because they discovered they weren't facing some washed-up old man...
But the legendary Chin Jao, the man who had once clashed with the Marine Hero Garp himself!
"Bwahahaha! Who would've thought Michael would go and recruit Chin Jao to become a Warlord!"
At Marine HQ, in Fleet Admiral Sengoku's office.
Garp clutched the latest issue of the World Economy News, laughing heartily as he read.
"Chin Jao? That pointy-headed guy who gave you trouble back in the day?" Sengoku replied without looking up.
"But does he still have the same strength now? I heard after you smashed his prized pointy head flat, he completely disappeared from the scene."
"Sengoku, don't forget that besides combat, Michael is most skilled at healing," Garp said as he placed the newspaper in front of Sengoku.
"Look at this photo—Chin Jao's head has completely recovered... and judging by his aura, though he's aged over a decade, he's even stronger than before! It really makes my hands itch—I'd love to fight him again!"
"Stop being ridiculous, will you?" Sengoku picked up the newspaper but glanced at Garp.
"He was no match for you back then, and he certainly isn't now... Besides, since Michael has granted him the title of Shichibukai, in a way, he's now your colleague."
"Ahahaha, all the more reason for colleagues to spar!"
Sengoku sighed as he looked at his old friend, who seemed to grow more childlike with age.
Compared to Chin Jao, he was far more interested in two others.
Doflamingo—a former Celestial Dragon.
Even if he'd been stripped of his status in Mariejois, his lineage remained unchanged.
Had he truly chosen to side with the Marines?
Could there really be no ulterior motive?
According to Rosinante's intel, Doflamingo had been interacting closely with the Beast Pirates in the New World recently...
As for that Red-Haired Shanks.
Sengoku's expression grew unusually grave.
He even reached out and tapped Shanks' photo a few times.
In those eyes...
He seemed to see Roger again.
-----------------------------
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