270 One Piece: My Name is Jack

"What is that...?!"

The group, still deep in discussion, simultaneously looked up.

Several among them were masters of Observation Haki, highly attuned to the slightest premonition of danger. Through their heightened perception, they sensed a strange, mechanical construct hurtling toward the island at an astonishing speed.

"That thing is..."

"Ohhh-rororororo! Ohhh-rororororo!"

"We've formed an alliance, sure, but every alliance needs a leader!"

"So, allow me to show you the true strength of the Beasts Pirates!"

"King! Deploy Pluton!"

"What?! Pluton?!"

"Then this must be..."

"That's right!"

Kaido's eyes gleamed with excitement as he gazed skyward, enunciating each word with fervor:

"This is the Ancient Weapon that wiped Dressrosa off the map—Uranus!"

...

In an instant, Uranus soared into the sky, hovering ominously above them. The sense of impending doom intensified. Just as the tension reached its peak, Uranus abruptly changed direction.

In Wano, the earth trembled violently, sending its people rushing out of their homes in alarm.

From beneath the ocean, an enormous warship emerged, rising between Wano and Onigashima. Hundreds of cannons lined its hull, all aimed skyward in unison.

"Hummm..."

"BOOM!"

Blinding beams of energy erupted from the ship. At the same time, countless streaks of light rained down from the sky. The moment they collided, the entire world seemed to tremble!

"Don't look! Shut your eyes!"

"ARGH! My eyes!"

In the blink of an eye, the light vanished. The massive warship remained afloat, smoke billowing from its hull. Many pirates who had stared directly at the clash had their eyes burned out, leaving them as hollow sockets. Trees in the surrounding area ignited in flames.

"So this is the power of the Ancient Weapons..."

Shanks and his crew, far stronger than ordinary pirates, had witnessed the devastating spectacle firsthand. Even so, waves of shock coursed through them.

"I'll get these Poneglyph translations as soon as possible."

"For now, send your subordinates back. You all stay here."

"In one week, we meet at Onigashima! From there, we set sail for the Final Island!"

Kaido turned to Garp and Dragon, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"As for the Navy and the Revolutionary Army... well, that's your problem to deal with."

"But regardless of the outcome, when we return from the Final Island, it will be time for the ultimate battle against the World Government!"

...

Jack took a few steps forward before suddenly turning back toward Shanks with a smirk.

"Oh, I almost forgot. That guy, Yasopp—I sent him to reunite with his son."

"Hope you don't mind."

...

Shanks raised his head and met Jack's gaze. He remained silent for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle. Jack, seeing the reaction, chuckled in return before turning to leave.

"Heh. No anger?"

"Hoping someone else becomes a god and avenges you?"

"What a naive dream."

"Pirates like that... there sure are a lot of them."

...

"Wait! Hold on!"

"???"

A towering man—burly, dark-skinned, and even taller than Kaido—suddenly sprinted toward them.

Jack frowned, confused as to who this was. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Rim trembling violently.

"Rim? Are you okay?"

"You're shaking like a leaf. Maybe you should sit this one out."

"Rim!"

"BAM!"

"You better not forget me while you're gone!"

"Muah!"

"Here, take this purification halo—just in case you fall ill on the way!"

...

Jack's jaw dropped as he stared at the massive man puckering his lips, looking as if he were about to swallow Rim whole. The sheer absurdity made Jack yell in shock:

"You're... Master!"

"Hmm? Jack-sama? What's wrong?"

...

Jack looked between Master and Rim, then turned to see Ivankov approaching.

After a brief moment of thought, Jack made his decision and pointed at Master.

"You! Right now! Turn him back into a man!"

Ivankov hesitated for a second, then extended his claws and walked toward Master.

"Phew..."

As Master returned to his original form, Kaido let out a relieved sigh.

"Rim, listen to me."

"You won't survive this."

Rim, still looking pained, nodded. Meanwhile, Master, now back to normal, shyly rested his head on Rim's shoulder.

"You're so mean!"

Damn it! I want to kill someone!

...

After the small interlude, the group boarded Jack's Mammoth and set sail for the Final Island.

Why Jack's ship? Simple—it was the largest, the fastest, and had the most storage space. After all, with all the ivory Jack sold, how else was he supposed to make money without massive cargo holds?

Guided by Shanks, they traversed countless extreme climates—glaciers, torrential storms—yet nothing could halt the march of these formidable pirates.

After over six months at sea, Kaido clutched the map in his hand, his eyes lighting up as he gazed at the distant island before him.

"Ohhh-rororororo!"

"The Final Island... I've made it!"

"I'll be the first to set foot there!"

"Which means I will be the Pirate King!"

"Huh?"

The rest of the crew looked at Kaido, then at Jack, who was glaring at him with a dark expression. No one dared to argue.

The Mammoth accelerated toward the island.

"BOOM!"

Kaido was the first to leap from the ship, landing with a thunderous impact. The moment his feet touched the ground, he threw his head back and roared:

"Roger! I made it here too!"

"I am the Pirate King!"

"But to take the throne in this manner... that's not my style!"

"I will overthrow this world!"

"I will surpass you!"

"I will become the TRUE Pirate King!"