…and then use that influence to bring about the kind of justice he truly believed in.
It was clearly a long and difficult path, but Issho was willing to walk it—if it meant even the smallest bit of good for the world.
Of course, he did not know it yet. Before long, the Marines would launch a "World Conscription," a recruitment drive that would scour the globe and uncover countless powerful warriors who had long lived in obscurity.
These men and women would be given high-ranking positions within the Marine Headquarters and the World Government.
In other words, Issho's hopes could very well be realized much sooner than he expected. But for now, he remained unaware.
El, however, knew exactly what was coming—and he was determined to prevent it.
"Let's make a bet, Issho!" El suddenly called out. "There's no fun in fighting if there's nothing at stake."
Issho swung his blade in a continuous flurry, speaking quickly between strikes. "Name your terms, Captain El!"
"Ha ha ha… Excellent!" El laughed loudly. "Then I'll take that as your agreement! Here's how it works: whoever wins our next exchange gets to make one request of the other."
He went on plainly. "If I win, you come and work for me in the El Pirates. And if you win…"
El paused, a faint smile crossing his face. "…then you will have full authority to oversee and resolve all unlawful or unjust matters within every territory under my command."
To Issho, this offer was incredibly tempting.
More often than not, there were things the Marines and World Government found difficult or impossible to achieve—yet pirates could accomplish them with ease. This was exactly why the era had come to be known as the Great Pirate Age.
Issho was deeply moved. He knew all too well how complicated and difficult his own plans were, and had already accepted that the chance of success was slim at best.
But now, a clear opportunity stood before him: defeat this powerful young pirate, and he would be free to enforce his own sense of justice across all lands under El's rule.
It was a promise of great weight. Issho understood that despite his youth, El's strength ranked among the very greatest in the Grand Line—without equal among his generation.
It was said that the El Pirates already controlled vast territories. Though they could not compare to the centuries of influence built by the Marines and World Government, within the New World, their power and holdings were already considerable.
Should he stay true to his original goal, struggling to climb slowly through the ranks of the Marines… or take this chance, gamble everything, and defeat this formidable opponent to bring justice to at least one part of the world?
In truth, it was not really a choice at all—for Issho had no real alternative. Did he dare refuse the bet? Would El simply let him walk away if he declined? The terms were cleverly set both ways.
If Issho lost, he would join the El Pirates as agreed. If he won, he would still be placed in charge of reviewing all the crew's activities—effectively tying this mighty warrior to El's side regardless. And above all, El had no intention of losing this contest.
Boom! Boom!
The two figures landed back on solid ground.
"I accept!" Issho declared firmly.
El's lips curled upward. "Very good."
With his agreement, the matter was as good as settled. El had full confidence in his own strength, but Issho clearly had no intention of giving up either—his skill was far from ordinary.
"Hell's Descent!"
Issho's form vanished instantly, reappearing in the blink of an eye directly behind El.
At the same moment, El felt the force of gravity upon his body multiply—by hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of times over.
Hum!
In an instant, both El and the ground beneath his feet were dragged downward with crushing force, as if being pulled straight into the core of the earth.
This was the true power of the Gravity Fruit: taking the natural pull of the world and amplifying it thousands of times over, turning it into an attack that could pin or crush any foe. Few could escape it.
But that was not all.
"Gravity Blade… Fierce Tiger!"
To leave no room for error, Issho combined his immense power with his masterful swordsmanship, striking again and again toward the deepening chasm below.
Even an Emperor of the Sea would likely suffer severe injury from such a relentless combination.
Haaah…
Issho finally exhaled, having unleashed dozens of blows in mere seconds.
And then, from right behind him, El's voice rang out calmly.
"Well done… From now on, you will serve the El Pirates faithfully and well."
Issho had already held El's strength in the highest regard, but now he realized the man was far more unfathomable than he had imagined.
"You…"
Though blind, Issho's Observation Haki was among the finest in the world. Yet even with that, he had not detected when El had moved behind him.
He had just unleashed his full strength, and not only had it failed to harm his opponent—it had left him drained and unable to mount any effective counterattack.
Click.
Issho slid his sword-cane back into its sheath.
"I concede."
He accepted his loss with straightforward honesty. Having thrown everything he had into the fight and still being unable to gain the upper hand, he knew he was simply no match for El.
Under the terms of their bet, defeat meant joining the El Pirates. And whether it was due to Issho's own nature as a man who always kept his word—especially when it came to wagers—or the overwhelming difference in power between them, there was no room to back out.
"Ha ha ha ha!" El laughed heartily. "Excellent! Truly a man of his word!"
"But I will not let you feel shortchanged," he added, stepping beside Issho and looking down into the vast, bottomless pit the swordsman had created.
"As I said before: within every territory controlled by the El Pirates, you will have full authority to inspect and oversee all matters, great and small. Anything you find improper, or contrary to what you believe is just—you may report directly to me, and it will be dealt with."
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