(Today there will be 7 more chapters coming Give Powerstones please)
After that bunch of idiots decided to make a move on Uta, some fun news hit the black market.
The one who'd posted that "one hundred million for the girl" bounty?
Found hanging at the harbor.
Then an even juicier rumor dropped: the guy turned out to be working for a Celestial Dragon—doing dirty work for Saint Charlmarco.
Even so, he still ended up swinging from a rope at the docks.
Charlmarco flew into a rage and ordered CP to investigate.
They found nothing.
Case quietly closed.
As for the bold slavers who'd planned to snatch Uta?
Same ending—hanging at the harbor.
After that, nobody dared touch her again.
Not that she needed just Jin.
Her fans were insane.
And they weren't some fragile, swoony types either. Most of them were barrel-chested toughs with arms like tree trunks.
If anyone so much as looked like they were trying to lay hands on her, those guys would swarm them.
Mob beatdowns became a thing.
Eventually, the whole idea of "kidnap the little singer" just… vanished.
Even Saint Mjosgard came to one of Uta and Brook's concerts.
Afterward, he sighed.
"Such a lively, adorable girl… why is it that there are always scum who want to slap a collar on her and throw her in a cage?"
Recently, Mjosgard's reputation had turned downright good.
People used to think all Celestial Dragons were just cruel, brainless, greedy animals.
Now they said:
"Well, most of them are, but that Mjosgard guy's different."
Charlmarco heard that line and was furious. Supposedly, the two even came to blows over it, with Mjosgard coming out on top.
After the Fishman Island incident, Mjosgard had been quietly training himself. He wasn't the same weak ornament he used to be.
Charlmarco, naturally, was pissed.
He investigated until he found a few scapegoats, then vented his anger on them.
Mjosgard found out and personally went to Charlmarco's manor just to laugh in his face.
But anyway—
Back to the house on Sabaody.
Jin looked at Uta.
"From today on, you've gotta train yourself, Uta," he said. "Last time you snapped… that was probably the Devil Fruit's will nudging you along."
"Eh?" Everyone blinked.
Devil Fruits have… a will?
"How to put this…" Jin leaned back. "There's this old rumor that Devil Fruits grow on some 'world tree.' When they're ripe, they drop and scatter all over the seas.
"Who knows if that part's true. But the part about a consciousness inside the fruit? That, I'm sure of."
He lifted his hand. Dense, golden dragon scales rippled across his arm.
"When I first ate mine, I got dragged into a mental space," he said. "I saw it."
He tapped his temple.
"But as I trained and slowly wrestled control away, that thing's presence vanished. It's gone now.
"You, on the other hand, were too young when you ate yours. No one taught you how to use it. Shanks' whole crew are non–Fruit users. They had no reference point.
"So on Elegia—Music Island—you were probably being tempted by that remnant will. It pushed you to open up all the doors in your heart.
"Once you did…" Jin snapped his fingers. "With your music, that thing was able to break its seal."
Uta stared at her hands.
"So that… big thing… was the leftover will inside the Sing-Sing Fruit?"
Jin nodded.
"You can also see it this way: that was your fruit awakening," he said. "Rule-type power. In that domain, you were invincible.
"That's why an entire music nation went down, just like that."
Everyone in the room—human and mink alike—stared at the little girl with her head down.
This kid… wiped out a country?
"Gulp." Wanda and Ella swallowed.
No way… such a cute kid…
Being stared at like that, Uta shrank in on herself, looking even smaller.
Stella pulled her into a hug.
"Don't be scared," she said softly. "White-bro will teach you how to control it. He taught me. It won't happen again."
Shirako grabbed Uta's sleeve on the other side.
"Yeah," she said. "As long as White-bro's here, it'll be fine."
"Stella-nee… Shirako…"
Uta finally broke again, tears spilling freely.
Everyone else snapped out of it and rushed to speak up.
"Sorry," Gordon said quietly. "We didn't mean to stare."
Uta sniffled and looked at Jin, eyes shining with tears.
"Will you really help me, Mr. White?"
Jin snorted.
"Why do you think I'm talking so much?" he said. "From now on, if that thing whispers at you, trying to lead you somewhere—
"Don't listen.
"Do what you want."
He pointed a thumb at the yard.
"When you've got time, train your body. When it's concert time, sing. Between the two, slowly get used to your power."
He paused, then grinned.
"And if that thing does break out again…"
He rolled his shoulder.
"I've never fought a full-blown rule-type ability. I kinda wanna try."
With a dull duang, dragon scales crawled up his forearm and a layer of Armament Haki snapped on—dense, deep, almost metallic.
If Sengoku or Garp had been there, they would've spat their tea.
Top-tier Armament…
The whole arm was a glossy black, the pressure coming off it making the air feel thick.
Uta's fear melted into a bright, sweet smile.
"Then you have to take care of me from now on, White-bro," she said.
"Yeah," Jin said, dispersing the Haki. "I got you."
He ruffled her hair.
For Uta, that moment felt… safe.
As safe as the old days with Shanks.
The instant Jin's Haki vanished, Pedro, Wanda, and Stella all exhaled at once.
They'd felt it clearly.
That was stronger than the dukes' Haki back on Zou.
How old even is this guy…?
While Jin and everyone else were talking and training in the yard, Marineford was in chaos.
Sirens blared.
"Move, move! Form up!" officers shouted as wave after wave of marines poured into formation.
In the Fleet Admiral's office, the air was heavy.
Present were: Sengoku, Tsuru, Zephyr, Kizaru, Garp, plus Vice Admirals Gion, Onigumo, Doberman, Momonga, Dalmatian, Strawberry, Yamakaji, Burning Mountain—the whole upper command.
The other vice admirals were busy marshaling their men outside.
"Just received word!" said a lanky man in sunglasses—Brannew. He raised his voice.
"Emperor of the Sea, known as 'the world's strongest man,' Edward Newgate, after destroying the deep–New World Marine base, has now turned his sights on G-5, where Vice Admiral Garp, Admiral Aokiji, and Admiral Akainu are stationed.
"Shortly after, Emperors Big Mom and Kaido both moved as well. They have also appeared, and are attacking G-5.
"As of the latest report, Garp and the others are still resisting—but they can't hold much longer. Ten minutes ago, they sent an urgent request for reinforcements."
The room fell silent.
Three Emperors attacking one base at the same time.
The mess the World Government had created this time… was no small thing.
Even Kizaru wasn't joking around. His expression was grave.
"Sengoku-san," he said quietly, "I could go first, you know."
Sengoku shook his head.
"You can't," he said. "The Five Elders ordered that you stay in Mariejois. You're to remain on standby to defend the Holy Land."
Everyone's expressions turned ugly.
The Emperors are rampaging in the New World and they're worried about the Holy Land?
Kizaru pursed his lips.
"Well, then we'd better send something fast, Sengoku-san. If we send ships, it'll be at least a day before they arrive."
Sengoku's headache pounded harder.
He knew exactly what the old fossils were thinking.
The World Government feared pirates.
But they also feared the Marine.
Feared that the Marines might grow too powerful and slip out of their grasp.
That was why they'd created the Seven Warlords system.
Limit one side with another.
Kizaru, the fastest combat power in the Marine, chained to Mariejois. Warships the only remaining option—too slow.
Tsuru spoke up.
"We just got a report," she said. "Arakaki Jin has returned. We can have him come here and fly the vice admirals straight to G-5."
"That damned brat's back?" Sengoku's eyes lit up.
Right.
That kid could fly.
"Get me a Den Den Mushi!" he barked.
A moment later, a snail phone rang in Jin's yard.
"Bererere… bererere…"
Jin sighed and picked it up.
"Yeah, this is White Ghost," he said.
"White Ghost," Sengoku's voice snapped. "The New World bases need support. Get to Headquarters now. You're going to use that ridiculous ability of yours to ferry the vice admirals to G-5.
"Move."
Click.
The line went dead.
Jin stared at the phone for a beat.
"…Busy again, huh," he muttered.
He'd expected this much, honestly.
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