Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, the elder with the long, straight white hair and the signature Kitetsu blade across his lap, spoke first, his voice as dry as parchment.
"A 'Four Seas Exchange' established on Cactus Island, all in the name of the Celestial Dragons. A plan to monopolize trade between the Four Seas and the Grand Line, with all profits funneled to them, less a... generous... administrative fee for the exchange's proprietor."
Shepherd Ju Peter, the tall, blond elder, stroked his beard.
"The profits would be astronomical. It's a brilliant, predatory, and perfectly structured economic plan."
"It is also, quite clearly, not a plan devised by the Celestial Dragon who proposed it," Topman Warcury, the elder with the long, white beard, stated flatly.
"Then find the person who truly proposed this plan," Nusjuro commanded, his eyes closed, "and have him be the one to open up the sea routes."
Mars and Saturn glanced at each other, and the barest hint of a smile touched their lips.
Right.
Whoever proposed the plan should be the one to execute it.
As for the official claim that this plan was proposed by the Celestial Dragon, Charlos's father, Roswald... they didn't believe a single word of it.
It's not that there are no elites among the Celestial Dragons, but they were well aware of the... moral character... and intellectual capacity of most.
Most importantly, the Celestial Dragon who had proposed this plan, a man known for his buffoonery, clearly did not fall into the elite category.
This plan had Burns's—or rather, his son's—fingerprints all over it.
.....
Time passed bit by bit, and Lancelot's group, sailing the Going Merry, had finally crossed the vast, calm stretch of sea near the Kingdom of Alabasta.
"Captain... something seems off," Nami called out from her position as lookout in the crow's nest, her voice sharp with sudden tension as she pointed ahead.
"What is it?" Lancelot stood up from his deck chair, his gaze sharpening.
He made his way to the bow of the ship and looked in the direction Nami was pointing.
To his astonishment, he saw a massive figure emerging halfway from the sea, treading water and staring right at their ship.
It was a whale shark fish-man.
He had wild, wind-like eyebrows and sideburns, a traditional topknot hairstyle, and a thick, short black beard on his chin.
A prominent, lightning-shaped scar rested near the corner of his left eye.
His body was stout and immensely powerful, with two large, tusk-like teeth protruding from his lower jaw.
The iconic red sun emblem representing the "Sun Pirates" was tattooed prominently in the center of his chest, and he wore a patterned, open yukata.
'Damn, it all matches up,' Lancelot thought, his blood running a bit cold as he instantly recognized the figure.
'Isn't this Jinbei, one of the Shichibukai?'
In the original story, he was the tenth member of the Straw Hat Pirates, a master of Fish-Man Karate whose strength was formidable.
He was a man who could single-handedly block an attack from the Yonko, Big Mom.
Lancelot couldn't help but frown.
He didn't believe for a second that encountering Jinbe out here, in the middle of the vast, empty ocean, was a mere coincidence.
'Did he come specifically for me? Could it be because of Arlong?'
That shouldn't be the case.
In the original story, Arlong was defeated by Luffy, a mere rookie.
In the end, this guy still befriended and later joined the Straw Hat Pirates, showing a deep capacity for understanding, even if he disapproved of Arlong's methods.
'Could it be,' Lancelot wondered, 'because I took matters into my own hands and ended Arlong's life, rather than just defeating and capturing him?'
"Whoosh..."
In an instant, Gin, Zoro, and Lina appeared at Lancelot's side, their battle senses screaming.
With perfect, practiced understanding, all three placed their hands on their weapons, their expressions grim as they faced the Warlord.
Lancelot, however, held up a hand.
"Don't attack. He's not someone any of you can handle right now. Not even you, Zoro."
Gin, Zoro, and Lina were slightly taken aback by the absolute, final-sounding certainty in his voice.
Lina, who had just recently advanced to the rank of Sword Master, couldn't help but ask curiously.
"Who is he, Captain?"
Lancelot replied, his gaze locked with the fish-man in the water.
"He's 'Knight of the Sea' Jinbe, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. He's a fish-man, a master of Fish-Man Karate, and his strength is immense. In the water... he's practically invincible."
"The Shichibukai?" "A fish-man?"
Gin, Zoro, and Lina were shocked once again, their curiosity piqued.
They were curious about the true strength of a Warlord, and the mention of fish-men immediately reminded them of Arlong and his crew.
Exchanging glances, none of them were fools.
They quickly grasped the situation.
This was likely Arlong's "big boss," his former captain.
Nami, who had climbed down from the rigging, grew visibly tense.
Her face paled, and her eyes filled with a familiar, old fear.
"Captain Lancelot..."
Before she could finish, Lancelot cut her off, his voice firm.
"Don't worry, Nami. I can handle this."
With that, to everyone's absolute astonishment, he leaped over the railing and landed cleanly in the sea.
"Huh?"
Not only were his crew stunned, but even Jinbei, who was treading water, was taken aback, his eyes filled with utter confusion.
'Who was this?' Jinbei was the Knight of the Sea, the strongest of the fish-men.
In the ocean, there was no one who could rival him.
Even an Admiral would be at a severe disadvantage, their Devil Fruit powers nullified.
But what was this Marine thinking? Had he lost his mind?
Lancelot, however, possessed the Whale Shark Fishman bloodline factor.
The moment he hit the warm water of the Grand Line, it was like a fish returning to its element, a jolt of energy surging through him.
With a powerful kick of his legs, he shot through the water like a human torpedo, stopping a few meters from the astonished Jinbe.
"This..." Jinbe was utterly stunned by the sight, even more shocked than when Lancelot had first jumped into the sea.
It wasn't just because Lancelot swam fast; he had personally witnessed the Dark King, Rayleigh, swim across the predator-filled Calm Belt.
What truly shocked him was Lancelot's swimming style.
It was a powerful, fin-like kick unique to fish-men.
As Lancelot drew closer, Jinbe even noticed the faint, web-like characteristics on his hands.
When Lancelot finally stopped, treading water as easily as he himself did, Jinbe was utterly astonished.
"You... you're a fish-man, too?"
Lancelot nodded, then shook his head.
"You could say that. One of my ancestors must have been a fish-man, so I inherited the bloodline. It only recently manifested."
"A human with awakened fish-man blood!" Jinbe instantly understood.
Yet, precisely because of this, his gaze toward Lancelot grew even more complex than before.
This Marine wasn't just another human oppressor.
He shared their blood.
"Hah..." Jinbe let out a deep, troubled breath, calming himself.
He looked at Lancelot, his expression pained.
"It was you who killed Arlong and his fish-men subordinates, wasn't it?"
Lancelot nodded honestly. "Indeed, it was me."
He then added, his voice firm, "But they deserved it. They committed unforgivable atrocities in the East Blue, murdering, enslaving, and extorting countless people for eight years. Their deaths were the only way to appease the anger of the people they tormented."
Jinbe didn't doubt his words; he had long feared Arlong's burning hatred would lead to such an end.
Yet, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow for his former crewmate, his "brother."
"That Arlong... he never let go of his hatred."
Lancelot understood Jinbe's meaning—Arlong's deep-seated, blind hatred for humans was what drove him to commit those heinous acts.
After a moment of shared, melancholy silence, Jinbe turned his gaze back to Lancelot, his expression even more complicated.
"Although I know it's not your fault—you're a Marine, and it's your duty to stop someone like Arlong from harming humans—I... I still have to fight you." He added, with genuine, profound regret.
"I'm sorry."
Lancelot, sensing the deep conflict in the Warlord with his Observation Haki, didn't press for details.
He could feel Jinbe's sadness, his lack of any real killing intent.
He looked meaningfully at Jinbe. "It seems you have your own difficulties. You're being forced into this. In that case... let's settle this with a fight."
Jinbe fell silent, grateful for the young Marine's understanding.
He then pointed to a small, deserted island not far away, a simple jut of rock and sand.
"Let's go there. Fighting in the water... it would have too great an impact on your abilities afterward."
Lancelot didn't refuse.
"Alright." He understood Jinbe's intention.
The Warlord was offering a neutral battlefield, a way to avoid exposing Lancelot's fish-man bloodline to his crew on the ship, who were undoubtedly watching with binoculars.
'He's trying to protect my secret'.
This made Lancelot wonder even more: who was threatening Jinbe? Who could force a Shichibukai to fight against his will?
'Those corrupt Vice Admirals? The ones who serve Charlos and the others? Do they really have that much power?'
The two exchanged one last, respectful glance before turning simultaneously and speeding toward the small island.
In just a few breaths, they burst out of the sea in twin plumes of spray and landed on the sandy shore, facing each other.
"Fish-Man Karate · Gosenmai Gawara Seiken (5,000 Tile Fist)!" Jinbe, wasting no time, initiated the attack.
He threw a powerful, straight punch toward Lancelot.
This signature move of Fish-Man Karate manipulated the water in the air and in the opponent's body, creating a shockwave powerful enough to shatter 5,000 tiles with a single, devastating strike.
Lancelot didn't dodge. He braced himself, his muscles tensing.
"Tekkai · Utsugi (Iron Body · Empty Wood)!"
This was one of the Rokushiki derivative techniques randomly assigned by the system, originally one of Rob Lucci's ultimate moves.
It was a specialized, advanced extension of Iron Body, using the hardening technique not just to block, but to rebound the opponent's attack.
The stronger the strike, the greater the rebound force.
An ordinary person's fist would be shattered into pulp instantly upon hitting it.