247 One Piece: My Name is Jack

As Jack carried his group back to Onigashima, they encountered Doflamingo's Pirate Ship along the way.

After briefly speaking with Doflamingo and learning that Kaido's crew was in Ailen Island, Jack resumed his journey with Shiryu and the others.

To their credit, Shiryu's group had remarkable endurance—an arduous journey of over a month, and they had only eaten a single meal. By the time they reached Ailen Island, the weakest among them, Van Augur, could barely stand, while the others, though visibly drained, had managed to stay on their feet.

Kaido, as expected, was pleased. A man who always valued strong warriors, he had already seen their performance through a Den Den Mushi. Even by the standards of the Beasts Pirates, they were impressive fighters.

"King! It's been a while!" Shiryu's greeting took Jack by surprise. The ever-cold swordsman actually showed a hint of emotion upon seeing King.

"Hmph."

"Shiryu of the Rain… I never thought you'd betray the World Government." King scoffed, arms crossed.

"Now that you're with the Beasts Pirates, you'd better devote yourself to Kaido-sama."

"Don't bring that ruthless, bloodthirsty attitude of yours into our ranks," he warned. "This isn't Impel Down."

"Oh? Bloodthirsty?"

Bang!

Jack clapped Shiryu on the shoulder with a heavy hand, peering down at him.

"Never figured you for the bloodthirsty type."

"Seriously, what is it with you Impel Down folks? You're either obsessed with torture or just straight-up killers."

"Jack!"

King's voice was sharp, irritation flashing across his face.

"I haven't even gotten to you yet! You pulled off something incredibly reckless—what were you thinking?!"

Jack, utterly unfazed, shrugged. "Relax, I'm not the same as before."

Then he turned to Kaido. "Kaido-san, I've already become the strongest in the world. Shouldn't we make a move against the World Government?"

Kaido fell into thought, before speaking in a low voice.

"Let's wait two more years. The prophecy's time is almost here—I want to see if it plays out as foretold."

"And besides, that thing still isn't fully repaired yet. We need more time."

Thud!

Van Augur collapsed, unconscious. Lafitte quickly stepped forward, bowing slightly.

"Kaido-sama, do you have any food? We haven't had a proper meal in over a month! We're starving!"

—

After Jack had eaten his fill, he leaned back, picking his teeth with a toothpick. Something suddenly crossed his mind, and he turned to Kaido.

"Kaido-san, where's Yamato?"

"In a situation like this, she should've come looking for me, scolding me for not bringing her along."

Kaido answered casually, "She took a squad to Ryugu Palace. Ever since Whitebeard died, a bunch of pirates have been causing trouble. I sent her there to hold the palace and keep anyone from making a move on it."

"I'm waiting for Neptune's response."

Jack thought for a moment, then said, "I'll go check things out at Ryugu Palace myself. I want to hear what King Neptune has to say."

"These guys—figure out where to put them. If there's nowhere else, they can stay on my ship for now."

Meanwhile, Rim had already been waiting at Ailen Island with a salvage team aboard the Mammoth in case Jack needed a rescue.

Watching the Den Den Mushi's footage of Jack's battle, Rim had a feeling they might not need the salvage team anymore.

"Jack-sama! Over here!"

SPLASH!

Rim immediately retracted his previous thought as Jack misstepped and plunged straight into the sea.

—

Arriving once again at Ryugu Palace, Jack was met with an open passageway—the moment the guards spotted the Mammoth flying the Beasts Pirates' flag, they cleared the way without hesitation.

Upon docking, he noticed that the palace guards had already been replaced by Fish-Man warriors under the Beasts Pirates. This struck him as odd.

It seemed like Ryugu Palace had already accepted Kaido's rule, but Neptune still hadn't pledged allegiance.

Was he hesitating? No, that couldn't be it.

As Jack pondered the situation, a massive whale descended from the sky, carrying King Neptune.

"Jack-dono."

Neptune's voice was tense as he faced the towering pirate.

"What brings you here?"

Jack narrowed his eyes. "What brings me here?"

His tone was slow, deliberate.

"You still haven't sworn loyalty to the Beasts Pirates, and you're asking me why I'm here?"

"Ah—?"

Neptune blinked in surprise before hurriedly explaining, "But I already told Yamato-sama! Big Mom's pirates contacted us first, demanding we accept their protection."

"She is an Emperor of the Sea, just like Kaido-sama—we can't afford to offend her."

"Yamato-sama said she would handle it, and once the situation was resolved, we would join the Beasts Pirates."

…Big Mom's crew? When did this happen? Yamato never mentioned it.

Before Jack could question further, the Left Minister rushed over, panting.

"Your Majesty! Big Mom's pirates have arrived!"

"They've already entered Fish-Man Island and are heading this way!"

"H-H-H-H-H…!"

The minister's tongue twisted into knots the moment he saw Jack.

"H-H… Beast Jack…"

"Jack your damn head!"

Jack leapt from his ship and landed heavily on the approaching pirate vessel, which flew Big Mom's Jolly Roger.

BAM!

"Huh? Who the hell—"

"Gah—?!"

A man in a pink suit, sporting pants designed like a cracked eggshell, choked mid-sip, spraying coffee all over his lion-headed companion.

"Oi! What the hell are you doing?! Ogaaaah!"

The lion followed his partner's gaze and froze, jaw dropping.

"B-B-Beast Jack…!"

SLAP!

"Jack your damn head!"

Jack scowled, unimpressed by their flamboyant outfits. "So you're from Big Mom's crew?"

"Listen up." His voice was firm, unyielding. "I don't care what kind of relationship Big Mom and Kaido have, or whether they even know each other."

"From now on, Ryugu Palace is under the Beasts Pirates' protection."

"You have exactly one option: find a coating specialist, get your ship ready, and leave. Immediately."

"If I hear one more word of nonsense, I'll kill you both."

"If Big Mom has a problem with that, she can come find me."

"Got it?"

Baron Tamago and Pekoms exchanged frantic glances before nodding furiously.

"Tch. Pink suits… you lot dress just as ridiculously as Doflamingo."

Jack shot them one last disdainful look before jumping back onto the docks.

Spotting Aladine standing stiffly nearby, Jack smirked.

"Oi, standing there like a damn post isn't going to make you invisible."

"Where's Yamato?"

"Yamato-sama?" Aladine scratched his head. "She's probably at Madam Shyarly's mermaid café right now."

"Madam Shyarly?"

Jack's eyes narrowed. "What next, Lady Jetta?"