Chinjao was shaken to the core.
He…
He hadn't joined Ares' crew willingly at first, yet Ares still chose to hand him a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit this precious!?
It made Chinjao look at Ares in a completely new light.
Was there any captain on the sea more generous, more lavish, than Ares!?
Put yourself in his shoes.
If it were Chinjao, he would never casually give away a priceless Mythical Zoan fruit to a "newcomer" who had only just joined.
Beside him, Kaido grinned wide.
"Wororororo Chinjao, chances like this don't come twice. Most people go their whole lives without ever getting the chance to eat a Mythical Zoan."
"But you…"
"Right now, you can become a Mythical Zoan user. Your strength will skyrocket!"
At that moment, staring at the Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit…
Chinjao truly couldn't resist. His eyes locked onto the fruit in Ares' hand.
And Ares simply shoved it into Chinjao's palm.
"Chinjao, don't hesitate!"
At the same time, Ares announced loudly, "From this moment on, Chinjao is the Second Division Commander of the War God Pirates!"
No one objected.
Everyone knew Chinjao's reputation and strength. A veteran pirate, famed across the seas.
And recruiting Chinjao also meant the Happo Navy under him would be absorbed into the War God Pirates.
A ready-made force.
As for positions within the War God Pirates…
Kaido was the first mate.
Sladar, the Sea Demon, was the First Division Commander.
As for Kuma and King, they were still young. Once they grew up, they would absolutely be qualified to command a division.
Holding the fruit, Chinjao felt like he was dreaming.
A Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit was the kind of power countless people fantasized about in their sleep.
And Ares had given it to him without blinking.
That proved one thing
Ares truly valued him.
A man dies for the one who understands him.
Chinjao had never felt this valued in his life. He immediately roared with fervor.
"Thank you, Captain!! I, Chinjao, will give everything I have to make the War God Pirates the strongest crew on the sea!!"
Ares laughed. "Hahahaha Good! One day, the War God Pirates will become the strongest pirate crew in history!"
"The strongest!!"
"The strongest!!!"
"..."
Whether they were former slaves or men of the Happo Navy, all of them threw their arms up and cheered until their throats went raw.
Then, with a pounding heart, Chinjao opened his mouth wide and took a huge bite.
His face turned a sickly blue-purple. Cold sweat poured down instantly.
And then he felt it.
One after another, serpent heads pushed out from his back.
His body flushed green. Scales spread across his back in overlapping plates.
And on each head
There was a sharp, conical "drill crest," like a horn, giving every serpent head the look of a unicorn.
Chinjao shouted excitedly, "Eight heads! Every head has a drill horn. This is incredible!!"
"And…"
"This fruit gave me eight lives. As long as I still have a head left, I won't die!!"
Under the Mythical Zoan Yamata no Orochi ability, his physique also improved, naturally.
That was the gift of Zoans.
And as a serpent-based creature, his senses sharpened drastically smell, sensitivity to vibrations through the ground, heat perception, all of it leaped forward.
Kaido laughed. "Wororororo The War God Pirates have a third Mythical Zoan user now!!"
Sladar grinned. "Chinjao, with your strength and Armament Haki, it won't be easy for anyone to chop off your heads."
Kuma murmured, "The War God Pirates have gained another strong fighter. One day, we'll bring liberation to this world…"
King's eyes gleamed with envy. "I need to grow stronger fast… so I can restore the glory of the Lunarian race!"
"..."
Ares laughed. "Hahahaha Let's celebrate Chinjao joining with a banquet, and then we set off!!"
He was truly pleased.
With Chinjao added, the War God Pirates now had three Mythical Zoan users.
More elite fighters under his command made Ares even more eager for the future his crew overflowing with monsters.
Once he took Wano…
Who else would he be able to recruit into his ranks?
And Wano had a unique form of Haki Ryuo.
Even if not everyone could master it…
At the very least, his officers would. And that would be an enormous boost to their strength.
Soon after
Following a grand banquet, Ares led his men without wasting a second, heading straight for Wano.
There…
He would finally spread his wings.
...
Wano Country, Kuri Region
This land once belonged to the Kurozumi clan.
But after the Kurozumi were wiped out, the place had completely devolved into Wano's lawless zone.
Refugees, vagrants, bandits crowds of them gathered here.
And their leader was…
Ashura Doji!!
Under the pouring rain
Ashura Doji stared grimly at the man before him.
Kozuki Oden stood with two great swords in hand Enma and Ame no Habakiri.
Ashura Doji barked, "Hey this is all your samurai's fault! You brought Kuri to this!!"
Today's Kuri was nothing but ruins and filth. The air reeked with rot.
Even the rain
Couldn't wash the stench away.
Behind Ashura Doji stood countless ragged men gripping all kinds of weapons.
"Ashura Doji, stop being stubborn! This place isn't fit for humans anymore!!" Kozuki Oden shouted.
Humm
Oden drew his blades, and flames like drifting sakura petals bloomed over the steel.
The once-bright blades instantly turned into blackened blades.
A wave of bandits rushed forward.
Oden swung.
The impact burst from his blade and sent every last bandit flying.
A crushing display of strength!!
Glug glug
Ashura Doji tossed aside his gourd, drew his sword, and charged to meet him.
Clang!
Sparks exploded.
With just that one clash, Ashura Doji could feel it clearly
Kozuki Oden was absurdly strong.
But then
A bandit screamed in terror, "T-There's… there's ships!! Flying in the sky!!"
"What!?"
Kozuki Oden and Ashura Doji both snapped their heads up.
A massive fleet appeared above the clouds.
Their faces changed instantly.
Both sides retreated tens of meters without a word, as if they'd reached a silent agreement.
Ashura Doji's face darkened. "How can ships fly… and those aren't even Wano ships!"
Kozuki Oden's eyes lit up, excitement blazing. "Could it be… outsiders!? I…"
"I can sail out to sea with them!?"
That had been his dream since childhood.
To see the vast, boundless world beyond Wano
The great sea he'd always longed for, always yearned to reach.
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