Chinjao met White Ghost without issue and invited him to the evening banquet.
White Ghost agreed readily, without making things awkward. After all, every place had one or two rotten apples. He wasn't petty enough to blame everyone for that.
White Ghost asked the others if anyone wanted to go, but they all shook their heads.
None of them wanted to attend. Banquets thrown by kings were all the same. They had attended who knew how many along the way and were already sick of them.
With no other choice, White Ghost brought only Kuro, Enel, and Kontena to the banquet.
At the banquet, everyone happily drank and chatted. No one brought up what had happened during the day, and White Ghost acted as if nothing had happened, laughing and drinking with King Ramen.
After drinking for a while, White Ghost and King Ramen had already started calling each other brothers.
King Ramen threw an arm around White Ghost's shoulder.
"Brother, you don't know how hard things are for me."
White Ghost's face was also flushed. The wine today tasted a little like what he remembered from home, so he had drunk more than usual.
After finishing his cup, White Ghost looked at King Ramen in surprise.
"No way, older brother. The Flower Country is known as the strongest military nation in the West Blue. What could you possibly be suffering from?"
Everyone watched White Ghost and their king with arms over each other's shoulders, calling each other brothers. The corners of their eyes twitched, but no one said anything.
King Ramen filled White Ghost's cup again and said helplessly, "You said it yourself. We're only known as that. It doesn't mean it's completely true."
As he spoke, King Ramen let out a long sigh.
"You know how it is. It's precisely because of that title, the so-called strongest in the West Blue, that the surrounding countries can't stand us. War breaks out year after year. Your older brother here is being beaten down by all of them at once."
Kuro elegantly sipped his red wine, secretly laughing.
As expected of a king. He could lie through his teeth without even blushing.
Whether White Ghost was truly drunk or pretending to be drunk, he looked surprised and pointed at the chiefs.
"No way, older brother.
"Just those big men alone could each fight hundreds by themselves.
"And him…"
White Ghost pointed at Chinjao.
"He's even more impressive. He can fight tens of thousands. Once his Conqueror's Haki goes out, how many people can still stand?"
Chinjao rubbed the top of his head with a helpless expression.
"That was in the past. Ever since that incident, this old man no longer has that kind of spirit."
White Ghost looked at Chinjao's uneven, dented head and suddenly thought of something. Then he looked at his own fist.
"If you don't mind, I can fix it with one punch."
Everyone froze and stared blankly at White Ghost's raised fist.
What was this?
Was he drunk and trying to use Chief Chinjao for entertainment?
King Ramen was stunned at first, thinking White Ghost was still angry about the day's events and wanted to vent on Chinjao.
Just as King Ramen was about to smooth things over, he realized something was off. The gaze of the sworn brother he had just made was fixed on Chinjao's head.
Realizing something, the king's eyes lit up, and he stayed silent.
Chinjao looked at White Ghost suspiciously.
"Can it really work? The force behind that punch back then was not ordinary."
White Ghost nodded with a flushed face. His head felt a little dizzy from drinking, but he looked at Chinjao and said, "It'll hurt a little. But it'll be quick."
King Ramen looked at White Ghost's current state, the corner of his mouth twitching. He carefully said, "Why not wait until tomorrow? Little brother, your condition today isn't good."
The others also reacted and echoed the king's words, all saying tomorrow would be better since White Ghost had drunk too much today.
White Ghost glanced at King Ramen.
How could a man say he couldn't do it?
He turned to Chinjao.
"Go to the plaza outside. It's just one punch. Very quick. Won't delay the drinking."
As White Ghost spoke, he stood and walked outside on his own.
Chinjao gritted his teeth.
For the sake of regaining his former glory, he followed him out.
The group arrived outside and saw White Ghost spread his wings and fly into the air.
They all knew he had a Mythical Zoan ability, so they weren't too surprised.
Chinjao walked directly beneath White Ghost and looked up at him flying beneath the moonlight.
Everyone else watched them nervously, while some were full of anticipation.
Sai and Boo were the most nervous of all. Their eyes were fixed tightly on White Ghost.
Kuro took a sip of the red wine in his hand and looked at Chinjao in the center of the plaza.
"Twenty years ago, Chinjao the Drill made his name on the Grand Line with that cone-shaped head of his. Is he about to return?"
Everyone looked over after hearing that.
They saw Chinjao clasp his hands together and begin gathering strength, his graying beard rising.
A powerful aura continuously poured out from Chinjao's body, shocking the other chiefs and making their expressions turn ugly.
Judging by Chinjao's current state, he had definitely never used his full strength when fighting them.
Duang!
Haki covered the top of Chinjao's head as he looked toward the sky.
White Ghost lowered his head. Haki covered his right fist, and arcs of electricity crackled around it. The aura radiating from that Haki made people feel fear in their hearts.
Chinjao knew that wasn't Conqueror's Haki.
That thing's aura was far more terrifying.
Chinjao bent his knees and gathered strength in his calves. His eyes widened as he roared, "Drill Dragon! Drill Nail!"
Crack!
The stone tiles beneath Chinjao's feet split apart.
Whoosh!
Chinjao shot upward like a cannonball, charging straight toward White Ghost in the sky.
White Ghost raised his fist and narrowed his eyes at Chinjao rushing up from below. With a flap of his wings, he charged downward.
"Serious Punch."
Boom!
The two collided, and the tremendous sound echoed through the palace.
Everyone had been warned in advance, so it didn't cause too much chaos.
White Ghost and Chinjao did not remain locked together like in the original story.
The instant they made contact, Chinjao felt a sharp pain in his head and immediately lost consciousness.
Below, aside from Kuro and the others, everyone's mouths fell open and their eyes bulged in disbelief.
They weren't shocked because Chinjao had lost too quickly.
They were shocked because Chinjao's head—
Chinjao's drill-shaped head—
had been punched back into shape by that man.
Chinjao's eyes rolled white, his drill head pointing downward as he fell.
Boom!
Chinjao's pointed head stabbed straight into the ground.
Crack!
The ground split open along the cracks smashed out by the drill head.
Rumble!
The entire palace plaza was instantly ruined.
King Ramen didn't feel pained at all. Instead, he was overjoyed.
Chinjao the Drill had returned.
It was just a plaza. A small price.
"Grandfather!"
Sai and Boo hurried over to check on him.
White Ghost slowly descended, clapped his hands, and said to Sai and Boo, "He'll wake up in a bit. It's not like I used that much strength."
Hearing White Ghost's words, the brothers silently thought:
If that punch hadn't helped Grandfather, we would already be fighting you with our lives.
White Ghost slipped his hands into his pockets and strolled back at an easy pace.
"Let's go, older brother. Keep drinking. I haven't had enough yet."
King Ramen warmly took White Ghost's hand.
"Let's go, let's go! Your older brother will drink with you to your heart's content tonight!"
The other chiefs smiled along on the surface.
Inwardly, they all thought of what Chinjao had said.
That man was someone they couldn't stop even if they attacked together.
They hadn't believed it before.
But now, after watching White Ghost knock Chinjao unconscious with one punch, they believed it.
If even Chinjao couldn't withstand one punch, what about them?
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