Chapter 16: Slipped Away

"My name is Master Kaido, online lessons."

"Let me give your other grandson a few swings too — maybe he could end up as strong as that straw-hat kid."

Su Lin was now firing off trash talk nonstop — a joke, after all, since it wasn't his own face being used.

Luffy heard this, scratched his head, and thought seriously for a moment: "Seems like that's really how it is."

Those words made Ace's heart stir a little.

Ace: "That efficient? Is it really okay?"

Garp: "Really?"

'Kaido': "......"

Sengoku: "......"

Like attracts like — no, the whole family is cut from the same cloth.

The Navy's two legends were now on the verge of clashing with Kaido, one of the Four Emperors.

Meanwhile, Whitebeard's side had suffered no major losses to its main fighting force.

"Didn't take the bait?"

While Akainu was still wondering, the Giant Spider Scabbards burst out from the side, slashing at Akainu with a single blade.

"You bastard, Akainu!"

"How dare you try to trick me!"

Seeing his plan exposed, Akainu showed not the slightest displeasure: "You don't believe what I said?"

"Thanks to Brother Jinbe, I didn't fall for your scheme to drive a wedge between us!"

"Jinbe?!"

Akainu was baffled — how had the Sea Knight Jinbe found out?

If not for his intervention, Whitebeard would already be wounded by now.

"Tch."

"Great Eruption!"

A magma fist, even larger than any giant's, blasted out in an instant.

Fish-Man Karate

Jinbe seized the moment beneath the ice, using Fish-Man Karate to summon a massive water spout that cancelled out Akainu's strike.

Thick steam spread across the battlefield.

At the same time, the situation at Marineford was being relayed around the world by overworked news seagulls and the Den Den Mushi of every major newspaper.

500, 700, 1100, 1900... 3003!

In the end, the growth rate stalled at the 5000 mark, then climbed slowly.

"Hahahaha."

'Kaido' threw his head back and laughed.

Never mind — today's entire tab is on Young Master Su!

After getting this system, Su Lin had thought a great deal, and planned a great deal.

But even the cleverest housewife can't cook without rice.

Do you know how badly he drooled over the things in the Shangcheng?

He dreamed of them every single night.

He'd originally planned to become an internet celebrity online, try to revive the Smartest generation, and see if he could earn some points that way.

Start by redeeming the most basic Wu Gong, step by step, and walk the road to cultivation.

Never expected that, coming to the world of One Piece, aside from abilities, you could earn points like this too.

Although Straw Hat Luffy had given him quite a rough time, there's a saying that fits well.

After every storm comes a rainbow.

5000 points could do a lot of things in the all-encompassing system Shangcheng.

He could head to the cultivation section and buy entry-level techniques like the Star Immortal Art, the Grand Mystery Yellow Scripture, the Eternal Indestructible Art — order them and they'd arrive, with enlightenment spiritual energy thrown in.

He could also buy techniques that rely on comprehension and ability directly — he could buy quite a few complete ones, but 5000 points only went so far in quality, and you had to learn them yourself; if you couldn't, that was on you.

Su Lin's goal from the start had been very simple.

Longevity, power, pleasure.

Once this was over and he was back on Blue Star in the everyday world, he'd slack off for good.

As for whether the system or the chat group had some kind of conspiracy theory behind it —

Why bother thinking about all that?

He used to be an ordinary person; now he'd gotten these opportunities — he was the ultimate lucky man. Why think so much, why overanalyze? Just ask yourself: the goods are right in front of your face, are you going to take them or not?

Take abilities and longevity back to the city — gaga ga~ — wouldn't he just run rampant in the everyday world?

Of course, he had no interest in walking some "return-to-the-city harem route."

Right now, he was the Ancestor.

Once he had the power later, he'd trigger another spiritual-energy revival, throw on an alt account and farm points from behind the scenes, and keep getting stronger.

After all, One's Own World was the real base of operations.

Su Lin saw it was about time.

Aside from the Armament Haki layered over his body for defense, he channeled the limit of his Conqueror's Haki, wrapping it around his club.

Garp watched, his heart uneasy, worried about Luffy's safety.

Garp coated his fists in Armament Haki and prepared to charge Kaido together with Sengoku.

And Aokiji and Kizaru were also about to seize this chance to take down Fire Fist Ace and the Straw Hat kid.

"Take it, Luffy! This is my final Thunder Bagua!"

"A graduation lesson!"

Wrapping the black lightning formed by his Haki around the spiked club, however, this strike was not swung toward Luffy.

Sengoku and Garp were, after all, seasoned veterans; they did not let their guard down for a single moment.

Though surprised by Kaido suddenly shifting his target of attack, they were also prepared.

However, this strike did successfully hold the two of them back.

"Hahaha, Kaido, you've learned these underhanded tricks too." Garp laughed loudly, in a very good mood.

He hadn't expected Kaido to actually help his grandson; with this, Garp felt a weight lift off his heart instead.

At the same time, a new question popped into Garp's head.

Could Luffy really have become Kaido's student? Did Kaido teach Luffy to this level in just a few days? And Kaido even came all the way to the Summit War for him?

Impossible, no reason for it, shouldn't be happening.

Garp's brain felt a bit overloaded; something felt off. The Haki was stronger than before, but the martial arts were unmistakably Kaido's.

Kaido couldn't have drunk too much, fallen into the sea, and gotten kicked in the head by a Sea King, could he?

Although he couldn't figure it out, Garp actually felt more relaxed now.

He only needed to beat up Kaido; no more agonizing between family ties and the Marines' justice, and no more being accused of going easy.

To thank Kaido, he'd take out his full strength and pummel him for the first time in a while.

Sengoku, meanwhile, was even more headache-ridden; he hadn't expected Kaido to really be here to help the Straw Hat kid.

This time, it's trouble.

The situation has become uncertain.

Moreover, the Beasts Pirates might also be arriving—maybe they're already here—so now they had to guard against attacks from outside as well.

They had to take care of Kaido as quickly as possible.

Just as Sengoku was preparing to go all out, and Garp was preparing to fatten up Kaido with a beating and trade a few more moves with him to buy time.

Inside the chat group.

Su Lin: "Open Nika!"

Boom—

Boom—

A tremendous drumbeat rang out across the battlefield.

"See ya~." Su Lin waved his hand at the stunned Garp and Sengoku.

The next moment.

The 'Kaido' before everyone's eyes also turned into a young man under their astonished gazes, leaving a spiked club on the shattered earth, transforming into light that flew into the sky and vanished.

"A fake?!"

"Damn, we've been tricked!"

Sengoku came to his senses and now turned his gaze toward the Straw Hat kid's side.

But he saw—

"Gear Fifth!"

Somewhere on the sea in the second half of the New World.

"Ahhh. So sudden, yet so nostalgic."

"After eight hundred years, I've heard it again!"

"I heard the drumbeat of liberation! Though the time and place differ from the prophecy."

"That sound—he is over there."

"Joy Boy, has returned."

An indescribably enormous elephant looked toward the position of Marineford.

In the distant past of this world, the Elephant Lord who had committed an unforgivable sin was commanded to keep walking forever, never to stop.