After all, the El Pirates had grown into a large and powerful organization; it was impossible for El, as captain, to handle every single matter personally.
Having strong officers step forward to resolve problems on his behalf was the proper way for a well-run crew to operate—and that was exactly what El was working toward.
Already, the powerful fighters in his ranks were beginning to fulfill this role.
People like Hancock, Crocodile, and Doflamingo all took responsibility for such matters. Yet there was no such thing as having too many capable subordinates.
Issho was only the latest addition. Whenever El came across another warrior of such caliber in the future, he would certainly not let them slip away.
…
Thump… Thump… Thump…
Issho tapped his way forward with his sword-cane until he stood near the table where the brothers were causing trouble.
"Might I ask the two of you to stop this disturbance?"
At first glance, Issho looked like nothing more than an ordinary, unknown man—and a blind one at that. He gave off no sense of threat whatsoever.
Even in the chaotic, mixed environment of Sabaody Archipelago, where all kinds of people gathered, no one would have suspected this blind man of being dangerous.
Doflamingo himself had initially underestimated Issho, so it was only natural that Caribou and his brother paid him no mind at all.
"Hey! Where did you crawl out from?!"
"What's it to you? Get lost right now!"
The Caribou brothers were ruthless pirates who had already left countless bodies in their wake throughout the first half of the Grand Line.
If this blind man annoyed them, they would have no qualms about killing him on the spot.
"Now then… who is making such a racket in my bar?!"
At that moment, the tavern's owner, Shakky, finally returned.
Once a notorious pirate of the previous era, she was largely unknown to the younger generation.
Few people in the present day were aware of her true identity. So even when she appeared, Caribou and Coribou showed no great fear.
They did understand, however, that Sabaody Archipelago was not a place to act recklessly.
Anyone who could hold their ground here had powerful backing, and even a tavern owner was not to be underestimated.
Still, they did not back down—having reached this far, they were confident in their own strength.
"Owner… your drinks are pretty terrible, aren't they?" Caribou sneered. "You actually expect us to pay for this swill?!"
He was clearly looking for an excuse to dine and dash. For pirates like them, this was how things usually went in the Grand Line.
In the Great Pirate Era, there were no real rules—strength was the only law.
Even in the first half of the Grand Line, few crews could stand up to the Caribou Pirates. They had grown arrogant from never facing proper opposition.
And if Shakky were just some ordinary woman, they saw no reason to treat her with respect.
Hmph…
Instead of growing angry at being challenged, Shakky simply smiled. "It has been years… years since anyone dared to cause trouble in my place."
"There is no need for you to intervene, owner," Issho spoke up.
He had just promised the captain that he would deal with the brothers. This was the perfect chance to prove himself and raise his standing—an opportunity not to be wasted.
Besides, this was his first task for the El Pirates; failure was simply not an option.
"Oh?" Shakky glanced at Issho, but she truly had no idea who he was.
She had long since stepped away from the world of piracy and conflict, living in seclusion here alongside Rayleigh.
And Issho was naturally the type to keep his power well-hidden—had they not met by chance, no one would have ever known of his existence until he chose to reveal himself.
Still, she could see that Issho had been sitting with El and his group all along. Her eyes rested briefly on him before shifting to El and the others.
It was obvious that El had sent him forward to handle the situation. She nodded toward them.
"Thank you, then. Running a business, you always run into this sort of trouble. Such a nuisance…"
With that, she turned and walked calmly back behind the bar, as if this minor commotion was hardly worth her attention.
"Hey, blind man—are you trying to get in our way?!"
The brothers immediately turned their anger toward Issho.
"I am not trying to interfere out of nothing," Issho replied, tapping his sword-cane against the floor as he stepped slowly closer.
"It is simply that your behavior is far from honorable."
Issho had never held a favorable view of pirates—and even now that he had joined their ranks, that opinion had not changed.
In fact, he was already beginning to consider how he could influence and reform the El Pirates, starting from small matters and working his way up.
If he could reshape this powerful crew, the change might eventually spread across the New World and even the entire Grand Line—something the World Government and Marines had failed to achieve.
Hum…
In one smooth motion, Issho drew his sword-cane, and at the exact same moment, unleashed the power of the Gravity Fruit. Caribou and Coribou were instantly forced backward, unable to stand their ground.
Combined with Issho's own immense strength, this power was every bit as formidable as that of a Marine Admiral. How could the two brothers possibly stand against someone of that caliber?
A single sweeping slash sent them both flying straight out of the tavern.
The Caribou brothers were considered strong in the first half of the Grand Line, but against someone on the level of an Admiral, their abilities were woefully inadequate—especially Coribou, who relied entirely on his older brother's Logia power.
Even Caribou himself was far from a true master; he depended too heavily on his Devil Fruit.
In the first half of the Grand Line, where few mastered Haki, his rare Logia ability had made him nearly unbeatable.
But in the New World, where only those with strong Haki could rise to the top, such reliance would not carry him far.
"Coribou!"
In just one strike, one of the brothers was already severely injured—even though Issho had not yet used his full power.
Only Caribou's Logia nature had kept him from being finished off instantly.
"Drink and eat, then try to leave without paying? Where in the world does that make sense?!"
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