Upon hearing someone call his name, Jinbe paused, then looked over.

This is quite something.

A familiar face, shirtless and covered in injuries, was there, smoking a cigar.

And an acquaintance drinking tea next to me.

"Golden Lion?! Kizaru?!"

Jinbe immediately assumed a fighting stance, his eyes wide as he exclaimed, "You, why are you here!"

Why would a general and a general candidate appear in such an ordinary small town?

Are they here to hunt down Luffy?

No, that's not right.

Is it time to re-enter the New World?

But he didn't see any trace of a warship...

"It's just a quick stop for a meal, no need to be so formal, but..."

Kuro exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "Your self-designation is really interesting. The helmsman of the Straw Hat Pirates? You joined the Straw Hat crew? You gave up being a Shichibukai to join a fledgling pirate crew? You're getting worse and worse."

During the Marineford War, Jinbe protested to the Navy and the World Government for his dissatisfaction with Ace and was imprisoned in Impel Down.

At the time, Fleet Admiral Sengoku was thinking of calming Jinbe down. If he agreed, all the better; if not, keeping him in Impel Down would save him from rebelling later.

But this guy actually escaped from prison.

From that time on, he was naturally removed from the Seven Warlords of the Sea and later fled to Fishman Island.

There were rumors that he was under Big Mom's command, but now it seems...

helmsman?

A former Shichibukai, now serving as a helmsman for a newcomer.

To make a fool of oneself.

"She's not a newcomer!"

Jinbe said solemnly, "Luffy, Luffy... he will definitely become the Pirate King, and I will be the Pirate King's helmsman!"

"Ha, let him come out of Wano Country first." Kuro sneered. "Besides, what's so great about being the Pirate King? If you don't care about the methods, you can just reach the end and be the Pirate King. What's the point of that kind of Pirate King?"

Roger secretly copied the Poneglyphs directly from Big Mom, so he rarely clashed with Big Mom.

Although Roger could fight Whitebeard to a draw in his prime, Big Mom back then might not have been any less formidable. If they were to actually fight, it might not be so easy for him to obtain the title of Pirate King.

As for Straw Hat Boy...

It's still early!

That level of power is probably something Kaido is just playing with.

Their potential might be good, but to face the Four Emperors head-on, they'd need two...

Even a god couldn't save us.

"Wano Country..."

Jinbe understood the hidden meaning in Kuro's words and asked, "What happened to Luffy in Wano Country?"

"Why don't you go see for yourself and find out?"

Kuro shrugged and pointed to the chair next to him. "Well, it's been a long time. Come and sit down. I have something to ask you."

Kuro still showed a lot of respect to the veteran Shichibukai.

These people have survived at sea for so many years and maintained their reputation, so they must be quite formidable.

Yes, the original Seven Warlords of the Sea, not counting the new ones.

Moreover, he didn't have any ill feelings towards Jinbe; the guy was a decent hero.

Jinbe pursed his lips and strode closer. "What do you want?! We're the enemy!"

With two extremely powerful individuals here, Jinbe might not be able to escape, especially Kuro, whose ability to manipulate seawater would render him useless even if he entered the sea.

"Enemy? Wait until your captain runs away from Wano Country before you talk about that. You're not qualified right now, Jinbe."

Kuro waved his hand and said, "The intelligence says you once sided with Charlotte Linlin. If you're here under that identity, I might take you seriously."

He paused for a moment, watching Jinbe sit down, before saying, "You know I'm in charge of the Seven Warlords of the Sea now, right?"

Jinbe nodded. "It's widely known that Crocodile has joined your new Seven Warlords of the Sea."

Kuro laughed and said, "I'm different from the World Government. I don't hold grudges. Jinbe, although you betrayed your responsibilities and escaped from prison at Marineford, you didn't cause any casualties. If you're willing to come back, I can save your position for you. Now that Ryugu has been mentioned in the World Government meeting, if you continue to act as a bridge, you can help your fish-men and mermaids reach the world faster."

"Will you invite me again?"

Jinbe paused for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Thank you for inviting me, but I have already sworn an oath with Luffy and am now the helmsman of the Straw Hat crew! My current goal is to help Luffy ascend to the throne of the Pirate King! Kinni! Kizaru! Even if I have to fight you two here, I will not yield! I am the helmsman of the future Pirate King!"

"That's a lie..."

Kuro, cigar in mouth, leaned back. "So, you're saying you're going to be my helmsman?"

"Hmm?" Jinbe was somewhat puzzled. "Please don't laugh at me!"

Kuro shook his head and smiled, offering no further explanation.

One Piece, well, if you want to be the Pirate King, just become one.

He was absolutely certain that Luffy could defeat the combined forces of Kaido and Big Mom.

However, Kuro wasn't entirely sure whether he could become the Pirate King.

Because the definition of the Pirate King is very strange in the current world. It is not about being strong, nor about having many pirate crew members, but about reaching the destination of Laugh Tale to be considered the 'Pirate King'.

If we calculate it that way, then Kuro is also the Pirate King.

Because he has Laugh Tale's permanent pointer!

Do you think the person closest to the Pirate King's throne must be a pirate?

No, it's the navy!

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