"Whoosh—BOOM!"
Two thunderous blasts rang out before Mangrove No. 27. Blinding yellow light streaked past in an instant, too fast for the eye to follow. Jiang Lin and Admiral Kizaru crossed paths—both users of the Glint-Glint Fruit, wielding the same speed and identical "Light-Speed Kick" techniques.
"Truly identical…"
Kizaru tilted his head, studying Jiang Lin curiously, completely unbothered by the fact that his earlier kick had collapsed the towering mangrove tree.
"Your speed is the same as mine."
Jiang Lin looked at Kizaru with a mocking smile. He had longed to possess a Devil Fruit ability—and now that wish had come true. Naturally, he had to flaunt it a little.
"Aiya, aiya… how troublesome."
Kizaru swayed his head, as though pondering something.
"Well then! Since you don't know where Sentomaru is, I'll be on my way."
He gently lowered his foot, turned his back, slipped his hands into his pockets, and walked off without another glance.
"As expected of the 'Wellness Monkey.' Even when faced with another user of the same Devil Fruit, he doesn't bother to dig deeper."
Jiang Lin exhaled in relief once Kizaru left. Though he had gained the Glint-Glint Fruit, his mastery was still far behind Kizaru's. For him, the Admiral's decision to pull back was nothing short of sheer luck.
"Wasn't Kizaru a bit too much? Not only did he break a mangrove tree, he even sank a battleship!"
From their vantage point above, Marine soldiers looked down at the fallen mangrove and muttered in awe. What they didn't know was this: Kizaru had felled the tree, but Jiang Lin had sunk the battleship.
With the street deserted and the Marines far away, almost no one realized what had happened here—except for the man who had been watching from the rooftop all along: Scratchmen Apoo.
"Well, well… so that's a Marine Admiral? And who was that guy fighting him? Could he use Kizaru's ability? Interesting… I'll meet with Kizaru first, then come back to 'chat' with that one."
Arms crossed, Apoo smirked as he looked down. Meanwhile, with Kizaru gone, Jiang Lin hurried away from the street as well. His destination: Island No. 12, where Luffy and his crew were located.
Within the dense jungle of Island No. 12, Luffy and his companions were making their way forward when suddenly a massive figure appeared. The round-bellied giant caused Nami and the others to raise their weapons in shock.
"Who are you?!"
Luffy's wide eyes stared at the newcomer in surprise.
"That's a Pacifista—an imitation of the Warlord Bartholomew Kuma."
Just as Luffy turned to his crew for answers, Jiang Lin's figure flashed across the jungle. He raised a finger, unleashing a dazzling beam of golden light at the Kuma replica before them.
"Oooh! That's… a light beam!"
Stars sparkled in Luffy's and Chopper's eyes. Their gazes toward Jiang Lin changed instantly.
"BOOM!"
A deafening explosion erupted, shrouding the battlefield in smoke and dust. The Pacifista's body was blasted back by the force, slamming into the trunk of a massive tree.
"Is it down?"
Nami crept closer, curiosity in her eyes. At the sight of her slender figure, Jiang Lin nearly lost his composure—this was, after all, one of the most beautiful women in One Piece. Which fan hadn't saved her swimsuit posters at some point?
"No… but I can finish it."
Eager to perform in front of Luffy, Jiang Lin struck again before the Pacifista could rise. Golden light flared from his fingertip, firing directly at the cyborg still embedded in the tree.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
Explosions erupted one after another. His relentless barrage left Luffy staring wide-eyed in awe.
"I've decided. I want him to join our crew."
Luffy spoke with complete seriousness, shocking Nami, Sanji, and the others into open-mouthed astonishment.
"Eh…"
Hearing Luffy's declaration, Jiang Lin smiled faintly. He knew his plan had succeeded. Since he had been reborn into the One Piece world, he would aim to become the Pirate King—or at the very least, stand as Luffy's sworn brother, like Rayleigh by Roger's side.
One way or another, joining Luffy's crew was a choice with nothing but benefits.
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
Blinding beams of light shot across the sky above Sabaody as Jiang Lin and the Pacifista clashed. If he hadn't been deliberately holding back to "put on a show" for Luffy, Jiang Lin could have turned the machine into scrap within moments.
"Second Gear!"
Slamming his hands to the ground, steam hissing from his body, Luffy rushed to Jiang Lin's side.
"Three-Sword Style!"
"Diable Jambe!"
"Gomu Gomu no—!"
Hot on his heels, Zoro and Sanji charged forward as well.
"Six Hundred Brick… Fist!"
"Mouton… Shoot!"
"Jet Cannon!"
With the help of the Straw Hats, Jiang Lin—already dominating the fight—finally let loose completely. His movements became sharper, swifter.
"Yata no Kagami!"
Countless beams of light refracted across the battlefield, and in an instant, Jiang Lin appeared before the Pacifista. Gone was his mocking grin; his face was serious now. With the Straw Hats joining in, it was time to get serious himself.
"Light-Speed Kick!"
Jiang Lin's left leg rose high, blazing with golden light, before slamming into the cyborg's body. With that single blow, he sent the Pacifista flying out of the Sabaody Archipelago entirely.
"Woooah! That… that's a light beam?!"
The stars in Luffy's eyes now glittered even brighter. Excited, he rushed up to Jiang Lin, thrusting his right hand.
"Yo! Join us!"
Looking at Luffy's outstretched hand, Jiang Lin didn't hesitate. He reached out and grasped it firmly.
"What's your name?"
"D. Jiang Lin!"
Jiang Lin answered with a smile. He had always dreamed of bearing the "D." in his name, and now that dream had finally come true.
"Is that so? I'm Monkey D. Luffy! Welcome aboard!"
Luffy grinned from ear to ear. He never could have guessed that the man before him, who also carried the Will of D, would one day bring unimaginable change to him—and the entire pirate world.