"Weaken Kaido, huh?" I asked in amusement while looking at the green-haired girl. "Is that enough for you, Shimotsuke Kozue? How boring," I asked in a mocking voice with a snort of disdain.

"Kaido is a monster who even defeated lord, Oden. What can someone like me supposed to do to him other than pitifully trying to weaken his forces?" Kozue asked while glaring at me.

"I might be an honorless loser, but you have no right to mock the resolve I've lived with for so many years!" Kozue added, shouting as she tried to get off her bed and lunge at me, causing her to stagger while coughing blood again.

"I have all the right to mock such a feeble resolve because I'm the man who will take down Kaido in the future," I stated with a smirk, watching as Kozue stilled with wide eyes for a good couple of seconds.

"Did you not hear what I just said? Kaido is a monster who is called the world's strongest creature. There is nothing a mere bounty hunter from west blue can do to him!" Kozue shouted while pointing her index finger at me, seemingly outraged at how carelessly I've been talking about taking down Kaido.

"Kaido Is just a guy who sits around on his ass doing nothing other than drinking all day while I'm aiming to become the strongest in the world," I said, my smirk not leaving my face. "I'm only sixteen years old, and I can already fight a Marine vice admiral. Give me two, no three years, and I'll be able to kick Kaido's ass all over the new world," I concluded with a shrug, still smirking, causing her to lower her head, deep in thought.

"Instead of betting on some samurais that could already be dead, why don't you bet on me instead, Shimotsuke Kozue?" I asked as I stretched my hand to her, the smirk leaving my face replaced by an earnest expression.

"Can you... can you really take down Kaido?" Kozue asked as she raised her head to look me in the eye, her expression a mixture of hesitation, caution, and hope.

"Of course I can. It's just a matter of time!" I stated confidently with a smile, my hand still stretched in her direction.

"Very well, then I will bet my life on your resolve, Johnny silver hand," Kozue said with resolve in her eyes. "But if ever feel your resolve waver or wane before you take down Kaido, then I will leave with no hesitation," The green head added as she reached her hand and clasped mine in a firm handshake.

"So, with that out of the way. Why do you want to take down Kaido, anyway?" Kozue asked after taking back her hand as she tilted her head.

"Because I want to be the world's strongest man!" I replied, my usual smirk coming back to my face.

"If you're aiming to be the world's strongest man, then shouldn't you be going after whitebeard instead?" Kozue asked, seemingly confused at my choice of target.

"Whitebeard is an old man with one foot already in the grave. Taking him down will prove nothing," I replied with a sigh.

In truth, I didn't want to go after white beard because I really like the guy. The world's strongest man? More like the most wholesome man in the world.

You have a guy who can wipe out entire islands by punching the air, and what does he do with that power? He gathers all the misfits and outcasts he can find in a pirate crew and treats them like his sons.

When one of his sons stabs him in the chest, what does he do? He embraces said son while telling him that he still loves him regardless of his foolishness.

He's supposed to be one of the wealthiest people alive, but he steals his sons' drinks because he spends all of the money he gathers to improve the lives of the people living on the island where he grew up. The same island where he grew up as a starving street orphan with no family or a home to call his own.

I'd need to be a special kind of asshole to go after him, but there's no need for anyone to know the real reason.

"You are a strange man, Johnny silver hand, no captain," Kozue said with a smile while shaking her head.

"Rehahaha, That I am," I replied with a laugh. "Anyway, I'll leave you to rest now. The rest of the crew will come and introduce themselves in a while," I added as I turned around and left the room.

"How did it go, captain?" Laffite asked as soon as I set foot on the deck without turning around to look at me, seemingly focused on his card game with Bob.

"Look like we have a new crewmate," I replied with a smirk. "Her name is Kozue. If you want to know more about her, you'll have to ask her yourself, but give her some time to rest first," I concluded with a smile, making my way towards my favorite spot on the black pearl's prow.

"My mother told me Someday I would buy," I began singing to myself while looking at the moon.

"It looks like Johnny is going to sing a song. It's been a while," Wilson said with a smile as he made his way to the bow.

"Oh, the captain's singing! I've been waiting to hear it personally!" Byron said as he followed Wilson.

The rest of the crew didn't say anything, but they also made their way to the bow. Bob and Laffite even brought their cards with them.

"Gally with, good oars, sail to distant shores," I kept going while looking at my companions swarming the bow with an amused smile.

"Stand up on the prow, noble Parque, I steer... "

-0-

Third person's point of view:

Somewhere in kano country, in a large room with no furniture.

"Fukurou, you idiot, not only did you reveal your presence to the person you were supposed to watch, even the report provided about the variables killing each other is false," said a dark-skinned man, with a Fu Manchu mustache, a pointed goatee, and long hair braided in a thick queue, that somewhat resembles a scorpion's tail while looking at the large round man, who was peeking at Johnny's fight earlier.

"Yoi Yoi, you must not blame our friend, Jabra. I will do it. I will commit seppuku and take responsibility for this failure," said a very tall man with large hands and a huge mane of pink hair, as he kneeled on the ground and took out a katana seemingly from nowhere.

"Seppuku Tekkai," the pink-haired, tall man shouted as he tried to plunge the sword into his guts, but the blade bounced off his stomach with a metallic clang as he used Tekkai to protect himself, in a seemingly unconscious action.

"Why can I not die?" The pink-haired man shouted in an anguished voice without moving from his posture of stabbing himself with the sword as tears began leaking from his eyes.

"I wish you'd hurry up and die, you fucking idiot," Jabra said in an irritated voice as a bulging vein appeared on his forehead.

"Perhaps I was saved by my mother, who is in heaven," the pink-haired man said as he raised his head to look at the ceiling. "Thank you, mother," he shouted, tears still gushing out of his eyes.

"Kumadori, your mother is...?" Jabra said with tears in his eyes as he kneeled in front of Kumadori. "Oh, Jabra, do you understand how I feel?" Kumadori asked as he lowered his face to look at Jabra.

"Despite being rude just now. I understand all too well-" Jabra said, pausing as he wiped a tear. "-The pain of losing a loved one,' Jabra concluded as tears began falling from his eyes like a waterfall.

"Mother!" Kumadori said as he embraced Jabra. "I'm sorry," Replied Jabra as he hugged his anguished friend back.

"The hell are you two doing?" Said a bored-looking Fukurou as he looked at his two companions' shenanigans.

-0-

Johnny's point of view:

'Last night sure was fun,' I think to myself while yawning as I stretch, waking up from a well-deserved night of sleep. I spent last night singing, drinking, and even playing cards with my companions, calling it a day when everyone was too tired to stay awake.

I yawn one last time as I stand up, picking up my coat and making my way to the upper deck.

"Morning," I murmur to Bob as I pass by the kitchen to pick up my breakfast while on my way to find Laffite.

I had already finished my meal by the time I found Laffite. "Did you already introduce yourself to our new crewmate?" I ask with a smile as I watch him go out of Kozue's room.

"Yes, captain. I think she'll be a very valuable addition to the crew once her wounds heal," He replies with a smile of his own. "You sure did a number on her with that technique of yours," Laffite adds with a raised eyebrow.

"Give me a break, will you?" I say in a sheepish voice while chuckling in embarrassment. "I was fully intent on killing her back then. I didn't think she'd end-joining us," I say while rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly.

"Oh, you mean back when you didn't know she's a woman?" Laffite replies sardonically with a rare blank expression, and I freeze wide-eyed at his replies, causing him to start laughing with a shit-eating grin. "Just kidding, captain," He explains with a smile.

"You've been spending too much time with Wilson," I say with a bitter smile while shaking my head. "But that's fine too, as long as you light up a little and stop being so serious all the time," I concluded with a genuine smile as I lightly punched him in the shoulder.

"Anyway, I've been looking for you because I want you to do something for me, Laffite," I say with a serious voice after a second's pause, causing Laffite's expression to turn serious as well.

"I want you to arrange a meeting for me with Don Chinjao, the leader of the Happo navy," I explain, and Laffite nods at my words. "This is very important, so get it done regardless of the method as long as you don't end up ruffling the geezer's feathers,"

"A lot of my plans and goals for the future would be much easier to achieve if this meeting goes well, so I'm counting on you," I added, emphasizing the importance of the task.

"Very well, Captain. I'll begin working on this task immediately," Laffite replies with a nod and an assuring smile as he turns around, jumping off the ship and disappearing into the crowds on the dock.

'Damn, that's cool. I'll have to ask Laffite to teach how he disappears like that, one day,' I think with a smirk as I watch Laffite disappear into the crowds.

...

 

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