Chapter 106 106: Pirate World's King Arthur

— — — — — — "Three Logia users... showing the rookies what real top-tier power looks like out at sea." "And that last hand... was that a little message for those of us who don't even fear a single admiral? Just a reminder of what real power feels like?" High above Hachinosu, Kaido winced as he hovered midair, teeth gritted. That massive cloud-formed finger had flung him dozens of kilometers away the moment it struck. Now, staring down at the gaping hole where Hachinosu used to be—a hole so massive that even after ten full minutes of seawater rushing in, it hadn't made the slightest dent—Kaido frowned deeply. That final strike... however the World Government pulled it off, one thing was clear: not even Rocks, the strongest man Kaido had ever met, the one who once led them in the assault on God Valley, could've unleashed something that devastating. No wonder Big Mom warned him, back when they last spoke. She'd said if he ever saw the truth for himself, he might freak out even faster than she did. And now Kaido understood. This wasn't about guts anymore. It wasn't about pride, or backing down. It was about survival. Shifting from his full dragon form into his dragon-human hybrid, Kaido rode his flame clouds through the sky, heading back toward Wano. Mid-flight, he pulled out a Den Den Mushi and dialed that number again. "Big Sis Linlin... you think I still have a shot?" "Ooh~ You went to Hachinosu, didn't you?" Charlotte Linlin didn't need to hear anything more—she could tell from his tone alone. He hadn't just watched the broadcast; he'd been there. "...Yeah, I went." Kaido said in a low voice. "If you're still alive, then yeah, you've still got a shot," Linlin replied. "From what I've heard, anyone the government truly wanted dead—any pirate or underworld bigshot who didn't show up on Hachinosu over the past two weeks—is already dead now, somewhere nobody's gonna find the body." "The whole world?" "The whole damn world." Kaido went quiet for a long moment. Then he tipped his head back and took gulp of burning liquor. "...Got it. Thanks for the heads-up." "Mamama. You ever need anything, you can call me anytime," Linlin said with a chuckle. "Considering I gave you that fruit back in the day, I'd like to see some return on that investment before you get yourself killed. Wouldn't want you dying in debt, after all." She gave her word—then ended the call. ... "Is that really all it takes?" Back on Whole Cake Island, the woman sitting across from Linlin raised a delicate eyebrow. She wore a pink dress with a white shawl, and her golden hair shimmered like sunlight. Linlin grinned, stuffing half a meter of cake into her mouth. "That kid is smarter than he looks, especially now that you lot are walking around with godlike power. He plays the brute, sure—but he's sharp. Real sharp." "If he wasn't, even when my soul was all twisted up by that damn nun's power back then, I never would've handed over the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon—a top-tier Mythical Zoan—just to do him a favor." She swallowed, then gave the blonde a long, heavy stare. "But you... Stussy..." The eight-meter-tall Linlin leaned forward, her eyes narrowing at the woman who stood barely 1.79 meters, curvy and elegant. "We've known each other for years. And I just found out you're with the World Government?" "...Sorry," Stussy muttered, barely opening her mouth. That was all she could squeeze out—dry and awkward. If this had been the old Charlotte Linlin—the crazy, unpredictable version—Stussy wouldn't have hesitated to lie through her teeth. Wouldn't have even blinked. But this... this new version of Linlin? She felt like she was talking to a kid. Not the infamous BIG MOM, the Emperor of the Sea who'd already celebrated her fiftieth birthday. No—during their meetings on Hachinosu, Linlin often gave off the vibe of a five- or six-year-old girl. Innocent. Playful. But not stupid. "Mamama, it's fine," Linlin chuckled, waving it off. "Not like it really matters now. I'm practically one of you people at this point. Funny how things turn out, huh? Wasn't that damn nun trying to sell me off to CP0 back in the day or something?" She laughed again and pushed a plate forward. "Here, try this. One of the guys who helped me get rid of that nun's soul gave me a few dessert recipes before he left. I had Katakuri and the others figure them out. This one's my favorite." Stussy dipped her finger in the whipped cream on top and tasted it. "...It really does taste like happiness," she said sincerely. Linlin burst out laughing—so loud, it echoed through the castle and out into the surrounding air. --- At the same time... Atop the Red Line, in the Holy Land of Mariejois. Overlooking the entire world from the highest point, Veyron stood still, sensing the flow of Ki that blanketed the world. Everything was stable—no signs of collapse or chaos. In fact, things were visibly improving. He gave a small, satisfied nod. "Alright. I'll leave this place in your hands for now." He turned to look at Merlin and Artoria, who stood quietly beside him. "No problem," Merlin replied with a calm smile. "If anything happens that goes off-script, I'll let you know through the group chat." She hadn't brought Artoria here just to show her the horrors of the Celestial Dragons or to let her play hero by taking out a few slavers and lackeys. That kind of surface-level justice wasn't the point. Merlin understood perfectly well who the Celestial Dragons were in this world. She also knew that if Veyron stepped in, it wouldn't just be a few bad apples getting crushed—it would tear the entire foundation of the world's order apart. But that was the thing. Veyron wasn't the type to just tear everything down and walk away. So Merlin's real goal was to have Artoria observe what came next—and deal with it. Basically, handing her the reins of the world. How to rebuild the world. How to stabilize the chaos and guide this world forward. That was the lesson she wanted her to learn. Not just how to swing a sword or make speeches—but how to rule. How to truly lead a nation. Because now that the "pirates" had mostly been dealt with, the new World Government faced two massive challenges: First—how to peacefully deal with the nobles and kings of various nations who'd inherited the worst traits of the Celestial Dragons. Second—how to build a better future for the entire world from the ashes of the old one. And for Artoria, that was the real test. She was studying like her life depended on it, overthinking every little detail, trying to come up with the perfect solutions... and for some of the problems? She couldn't even see a solution. It was like fate handed her a pop quiz for someone ten grades above her, with no answer key. Well, good luck, little King Arthur. In comparison, keeping an eye on the Automata's decisions and making sure they didn't stray from the mission? That was just an easy side task for her. And if anything went off course, Merlin could just message Veyron and have him handle it. Easy. Well... unless she was the one who caused it, just to mess with little Artoria. . . .