Issho chased Caribou and his brother straight out of the bar.
"Even this old man knows to accept defeat honorably when he loses a bet!"
Issho had a well-known habit of gambling, yet even in that, he never used his strength to bully or cheat others.
After all, there were very few men sailing the seas today who could claim to be stronger than he was.
"You blind fool—you strike so brutally!"
Having just seen his brother fall, Caribou flicked his long tongue across his lips. Instead of feeling fear, he was consumed by a wild, desperate surge of fighting spirit.
Normally he would never have dared to face such an opponent, but with his brother down right beside him, he had no choice but to give everything he had.
Logia-type Devil Fruit users were almost never weak. The quickest way to greatly boost one's power was through a Devil Fruit, and among all types, Logia fruits were widely considered the most formidable. That made their wielders notoriously difficult to defeat.
Caribou had eaten the Swamp-Swamp Fruit, a Logia power that allowed him to transform his entire body into swamp.
Like all Logia users, he was nearly immune to ordinary physical attacks—and he had relied on this ability countless times in past battles to avoid serious injury.
What set him apart from most other Logia users, however, was that he could store all kinds of objects inside his swamp form—items that would not be damaged or corroded by the mire.
"Swamp Machine Gun!"
Suddenly, Caribou pulled a heavy machine gun out from within his body and opened fire at Issho in a rapid burst.
"Childish trickery!"
Such crude attacks posed no threat at all to a master like Issho. Even ordinary Zoan-type users, with their tough hides and agility, could dodge or withstand gunfire—let alone someone of Issho's caliber.
Clang! Clatter! Ding!
The countless bullets flying toward Issho froze in mid-air as if held in place.
Under the effect of the Gravity Fruit, Issho controlled the force of gravity over everything around him—including every single shot coming his way.
Any stray rounds that slipped past were effortlessly blocked by his impenetrable swordsmanship.
"Y-you…"
Slowly, even the slow-witted Caribou realized that this blind swordsman was far more dangerous than he had imagined.
"I… I only wanted to eat and drink without paying!" he stammered, his bravado vanishing instantly. "You can't possibly make such a huge fuss over this!"
"Ha ha ha!"
Issho had barely replied when El stepped out of the bar laughing, looking down at Caribou who was now on the defensive.
If he could not even defeat this blind swordsman, how could he hope to stand against the others emerging behind him? Fear seized him completely.
"Let's get out of here!"
Caribou grabbed his unconscious brother Coribou, his body turning into a pool of thick swamp that sank straight into the ground, intending to escape using his Logia power.
"Hmph! Trying to run? It's not that easy!"
Before El could even speak, Issho stepped forward.
Issho tapped the tip of his sword-cane lightly against the ground.
Instantly, the entire area fell under the influence of his Gravity Fruit. The swamp that had just sunk into the earth—and Caribou within it—was forced to rise back up to the surface.
Not only that, but the whole patch of ground and mire where he had vanished was lifted high into the air, suspended above the street.
What had been his escape route had now turned him into a helpless target.
"No… no!"
Caribou's head popped out from the floating mass of swamp, and he immediately began begging for mercy. "Masters! Please forgive me! Y-you… are you Lord El?!"
Though he had only just arrived at Sabaody Archipelago, Caribou had long studied the wanted posters and records of the world's most notorious pirates.
He knew the names at the very top of the list, especially those with the highest bounties—and there was no question that El and his crew were among the most feared and powerful.
Recognizing El stripped away whatever remaining courage he had.
"We were blind and foolish just now!" he cried. "We did not realize Lord El himself was present!"
He bowed as deeply as he could while floating in mid-air. "Lord El, I surrender! I wish to join your crew—the El Pirates!"
"Ha ha ha!" El laughed coldly. "What nonsense! Do you think anyone can just walk in and join us?!"
Doflamingo stepped forward beside him with a mocking grin.
"You two good-for-nothings? Join the El Pirates? If we accepted every lowlife who asked, do you think we would have reached where we are today?!"
Caribou hung there in the air, looking utterly embarrassed and lost for words.
"Get out of my sight!"
With a simple wave of his hand, El sent both brothers flying away with such force that they were hurled all the way across the archipelago and out of view.
"Even a Logia user, and you still turned them away?"
Once the commotion settled, Shakky stepped out leisurely. To her, the Caribou brothers were nothing more than trivial nuisances, but she was happy to let others handle the trouble.
"Of course," El replied with a faint smile. "Not just anyone is worthy of joining the El Pirates."
"Didn't expect you to have such high standards, young man," Shakky remarked.
Though she was a true veteran of the previous era, she still enjoyed hearing about the state of the world from younger pirates.
Unlike Rayleigh, who had fully retired and spent his days drinking and doing odd jobs, she kept her ear close to the ground.
She had long heard rumors of the El Pirates' rising power, but only after meeting them in person and seeing the caliber of their officers did she realize that despite being a young crew, they held immense potential.
The blind swordsman who had just fought—Issho—Shakky could tell he was extraordinary. Even against someone like Rayleigh, it would be no easy task to decide who would win in a short clash.
It was clear that the era of the old legends was truly fading, and a new generation was rising.
"Since you've already taken care of the mess, why don't you all stay here and rest for a while?"
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