Naguri’s expression grew increasingly grim.
Looking at the carefree smile on Lucas’s face, he genuinely began to wonder whether being targeted by this brat was actually another trap set up by Garp.
Otherwise, after retiring from the sea and stepping down as a big-shot pirate for so many years, why would someone still come looking for him?
As for that so-called "fate" Lucas had mentioned, Naguri would believe that only if he were an idiot.
This was nothing more than a threat dressed up in fancy words.
"Brother Naguri, don’t worry. I still have some connections with Marine Headquarters. They won’t come after me afterward. At worst, I’ll consider whether I want to become a Special Combatant."
Fujitora tightened his grip on his cane sword.
"The Marine Admiral is indeed troublesome, but he’s not unbeatable. We’ll try a pincer attack together later. If an opportunity presents itself, just run."
As he spoke, purple light once again surged from Fujitora’s cane sword.
The scattered rubble and debris around them began to tremble and roar as they were lifted by his power.
Seeing that Fujitora intended to continue fighting, Doll and the others’ expressions immediately became grim.
They were facing Issho, the man whom Fleet Admiral Sengoku himself had acknowledged as possessing combat power comparable to an Admiral.
They knew very well that if Fujitora insisted on fighting, there was nothing they could do except stand by and watch.
At the same time, they couldn’t help worrying whether Lucas would still be able to dominate the battlefield as he had before if he had to face two Special Combatants at once.
"Try my ass!"
Naguri puffed on his pipe and glared through his bushy brows.
"This brat just said we’re fated to meet. And you expect me to fight him after that?"
"Damn it, I haven’t gone out to sea in decades, and Sengoku still managed to sell me out for twenty million Berries. There’s no way I’m swallowing that humiliation. If I run into him again, I’ll make sure he pays for it."
"Brat, remember what you just said. The old man and you are ’fated.’ I’ll board this pirate ship of yours and become one of your Special Combatants, but you’d better not go back on your word. Otherwise, don’t blame this old man for turning on you."
Everyone present was dumbfounded.
No one had expected the tense, battle-ready atmosphere from moments ago to suddenly change direction.
The old man who had once challenged the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, and ultimately lost had actually agreed to come aboard.
But was this really because of that single word—"fated"?
The more they thought about it, the more peculiar it sounded.
Even Fujitora was stunned.
His cane sword, which he had just drawn, suddenly left him in an awkward position.
I had already gotten ready to go all out, and now you’re telling me you just knocked on the wrong door?
The frustration was almost impossible to vent.
"Brother Naguri, you’re making things rather difficult for me," Fujitora said with a bitter smile.
Naguri shot him a sidelong glance.
"Who told you that brat found my weak spot? You’re free anyway, so why not come along and join in the fun? It’ll also give you and me a chance to properly catch up."
"Originally, whenever I went out to sea these past few years, I had to sneak around, worried that the Marines would recognize me and cause unnecessary trouble."
"But now that I think about it, afterward I might even be able to get a legitimate identity. Then I won’t have to worry about the Marines hunting me down anymore."
Fujitora’s face was full of bitterness as he looked at his ever-crafty old brother Naguri.
He suddenly felt as though he’d been dragged into this mess against his will.
Lucas smiled, took another gulp from his gourd of liquor, and dispersed the Thousand-Armed Welcome surrounding his body.
"Fujitora, Brother Naguri isn’t wrong."
"Besides, you can board the ship first and travel around with me for a while. When the real battle begins, you can decide then whether you want to fight or not."
Fujitora raised an eyebrow.
He hadn’t expected Lucas to make such a suggestion.
He sheathed his cane sword and gave an awkward laugh.
"Admiral Lucas, that’s a pretty good suggestion. But I’d really like to know something."
"Are you planning to trick me into boarding your ship first, then announce everything to the world afterward, leaving me with no way out and forcing me to stay aboard your pirate ship?"
"If that’s what you’re planning, then you’ve certainly calculated everything quite nicely."
Naguri, standing nearby, nodded with a laugh.
This supernova who had been trained by Marine hero Garp had not only inherited Garp’s outrageous way of doing things—he was just as crafty himself.
"Fujitora, you’re judging a gentleman with the heart of a scoundrel," Lucas said with a smile as he adjusted his glasses.
"Admittedly, I do have a selfish motive for asking you to board first."
"But I’m only after the twenty-million-Berry bonus."
"Once I get the bonus, I honestly don’t care whether you fight or not."
The bonus?
Fujitora and Naguri’s expressions instantly froze.
Looking at Lucas’s completely serious face, the two of them genuinely couldn’t understand it.
Are the two of us really not worth more than twenty million Berries to this guy?
Still, now that things had come to this, neither Fujitora nor Naguri said anything more.
After exchanging a glance, they lowered their fighting stances and quickly headed toward the warship.
"Brat, you’ve got enough booze, right? Fujitora and I are going to have a few drinks and catch up."
"Heh, Brother Naguri, you’re still as fond of drinking as ever. But my tolerance hasn’t gotten any worse over the years either. I just hope this Marine Admiral won’t be too heartbroken over his liquor."
The two Special Combatants leaped onto the deck and immediately headed into the ship’s cabin to find some alcohol.
Doll and the others were left standing there in stunned silence.
Naguri, the man who had once challenged the Pirate King and lost, had appeared and become one of the Special Combatants Lucas was recruiting.
That alone was already far beyond their expectations.
But now, even Issho—the man known for possessing combat power comparable to an Admiral, and who had himself rejected an invitation from Fleet Admiral Sengoku—had been talked into boarding Lucas’s ship.
Putting aside the question of which side would be stronger between the two giants and the two old men, the moment they stepped aboard this ship, it meant that both men had secured a place on Lucas’s list of Special Combatants.
According to Lucas’s proposed eight or nine Special Combatant positions, half the roster had already been filled in an instant.
When Lucas returned to the ship, Doll immediately hurried over with an eager expression.
"Admiral Lucas, I never expected you to actually talk Issho, the Fujitora who rejected Fleet Admiral Sengoku, into boarding our ship as well."
"Should we immediately spread the news? We can let everyone on the sea know about this."
Smoker and the others were startled.
They were certainly familiar with Doll’s impatient personality.
But announcing something first and asking questions later felt a little too much like going back on one’s word.
Still, with the great battle only forty days away, Smoker didn’t dare say much.
He could only look toward Lucas, eager to see what he would decide.
"Spread the news?"
Lucas took out his liquor gourd and took a small sip of Strong liquor .
"Why would we?"
"Didn’t I just say it?"
"I’m really only after the twenty-million-Berry bonus."
"As long as I get the bonus, I can take on a Yonko all by myself!"
Pfft!
Inside the cabin, Naguri and Fujitora were sitting together, drinking.
At the same time, they were using Observation Haki to monitor everything happening on the deck.
They had originally intended to listen in and see whether Lucas was merely saying one thing while secretly planning another.
Neither of them had expected that this newly appointed Marine Admiral would actually be willing to go all out for the sake of a bonus.
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