Next Bonus, 100!!
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The situation was reported to Jin.
He was a little surprised.
Then, he immediately gave his response.
"Tell them," he said, "that as long as they do not violate the laws of the Winter Blossom Kingdom and the regulations of Hannabal, anyone has the right to live here, whether they are revolutionaries or pirates. We will not cooperate with their operation. And if they act on their own, we have the right to intervene and arrest them."
There were two reasons for Jin's refusal.
First, his reputation was on the line.
The status of "free island" was the foundation of Hannabal's position among the many islands of Paradise.
If he, as the ruler, were to break the very rules he had established, it would have disastrous consequences.
If you don't follow your own rules, how can you expect anyone else to?
No one would respect his authority.
Second, he was refusing to submit to the overreach of the World Government's agencies.
The words they had used were "notice," not "request."
Jin's refusal was based not only on his own strength, but also on a careful study of the World Government's laws.
The World Government had no right to interfere in the internal affairs of its member nations.
For example, choosing a king, appointing officials...
And agencies like Cipher Pol, the Marines, and the CIU had no jurisdiction to conduct law enforcement or judicial proceedings within a member nation.
Of course, this rule had been... bent... over time.
For example, if a small nation was invaded by pirates and its king was killed, it would have no choice but to ask the Marines and the World Government for help. And after they helped rebuild the government, wouldn't they expect some concessions in terms of military and political control?
As these situations became more common, the World Government's agencies had established a subtle, soft control over these nations, forming a sort of deep state, a shadow government.
Most small kingdoms couldn't resist. And those who weren't politically savvy didn't even realize what was happening.
But Jin was different. He had taken civics and political science classes. Of course he was aware of it.
After hanging up with the Mayor, Jin thought for a moment. Knowing how agencies like CP0 operated, they wouldn't just give up. They would likely proceed with their operation anyway.
The "notice" was just a formality.
Whether he agreed or not was irrelevant to them.
After all, if they really did start arresting people, what could he do about it?
That arrogance was deeply ingrained in their culture. It was hard to change.
Jin sent a message to Issho, telling him to move his men closer to Hannabal, just in case.
Then, he contacted Dragon and told him to warn the Revolutionary Army's intelligence station in Hannabal.
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As expected, that night, the casino where Sabo and Koala were located was attacked.
CP0 and the CIU were well-prepared.
They had laid the groundwork in advance, using various means to turn one of the injured revolutionaries into an informant.
Their goal was to capture Sabo and Koala.
The fierce battle immediately drew the attention of Hannabal's security forces.
Gunshots rang out.
Finally, with the intervention of Issho and the navy, both sides were arrested.
The incident was quickly reported to the Five Elders, who then called Jin to apply pressure.
Jin quoted the World Government's own laws, arguing his case.
It was a stalemate.
The World Government had the "moral high ground" in their pursuit of the revolutionaries. But Jin, in upholding the laws of his own nation, was also in the right.
Both sides had a valid argument.
And with their power levels being relatively equal, there was nothing the Five Elders could do to Jin for the time being.
The next morning, the news of last night's incident was broadcast on all the street billboards, radios, and televisions.
"Last night, a vicious attack occurred in our city, resulting in 12 deaths and 35 injuries. More than 10 innocent bystanders were caught in the crossfire. A joint operation by the Security Bureau and the navy has resulted in the arrest of all parties involved."
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In Uta's residence, Luffy and his crew were watching the television.
"That's so weird," Usopp said, peering at the screen from all angles. "It's like a Visual Den Den Mushi. How does it work?"
"I want one..." Luffy said, his eyes sparkling. If they had one of those on the ship, he'd never be bored again.
"It's not that great," Uta said, shaking her head. "It needs a steady supply of electricity, and you lose the signal as soon as you leave the area around Hannabal. A Den Den Mushi is better."
"I heard it's something to do with the magnetic fields." She sat on the sofa, sipping a drink.
On the screen, the mugshots of the suspects were displayed.
"They even arrested a CP0 agent??" she said, surprised. "The casino manager, Sabo..."
Sabo??
Luffy's ears perked up. He looked at the screen, and his eyes went wide.
"Sabo??!!" he gasped.
"Eh? What is it, Luffy? Do you know him?" Usopp asked.
"I know him... no, I don't..." Luffy said, confused.
"Well, which is it?"
"I don't know! Sabo is supposed to be dead! But it looks just like him! What's going on??" Luffy stared at the flashing image and lunged at the television.
"Hey! Sabo! Wait! Don't go!"
He tried to shake Sabo out of the screen.
"Hey! Stop it, Luffy!" Uta said, bonking him on the head. "This thing is expensive! It's the latest model! What you're seeing is just a recording. The real person is already in jail."
"In jail?" Luffy said. "I have to save him!"
Uta just shook her head. "It's not that easy. If you really know him, I'll see what I can find out. But you'd better not do anything stupid. If you break the law, I won't be able to help you. By the way, weren't you going to the coliseum? You should go check it out. Get a feel for the power level of Paradise."
Luffy agreed.
Uta arranged for someone to take the Straw Hat Pirates to the coliseum.
Then, she contacted Jin to find out what was going on.
"Did Luffy see the news?" Jin asked, a thought already forming in his mind. "This is perfect. Sabo, Koala, and the others are confirmed revolutionaries. I can't just let them go. And keeping them here is a problem. But if Luffy and his crew were to rescue them... that would be a great way to raise their profile, to get Imu to notice the potential threat of Nika."
With that, Jin told Uta that Sabo was, in fact, the same person who had sworn an oath of brotherhood with Luffy and Ace. He had been attacked by a Celestial Dragon when he had set out to sea on his own, but he hadn't died. He had been rescued by Dragon.
Dragon... a compassionate soul from a young age, always saving people. The "Savior" of the pirate world.
Shanks, Teach, Kuma... all of them had been saved by Dragon at one point or another.
He was a man of great influence.
"Tell Luffy the news," Jin said. "He'll definitely go to save him. The debt of kindness is never truly repaid. As for the rest... don't worry about it."
"Eh? But..."
"It's fine. After all, Luffy is Garp's grandson and Dragon's son. Even a Marine Admiral has to give him some face."
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At the coliseum, Luffy, Zoro, and the others were matched against some other newcomers in the exhibition hall and easily defeated them.
Their consecutive victories began to attract attention.
"What's the name of the guy on stage?"
"I'm Luffy! And I'm going to be King of the Pirates!" Luffy said with a wide grin.
King of the Pirates??
"Hm?"
Kid and his crew were passing by. They heard the declaration and looked over at Luffy.
Kid turned. "Hey, you..." he said, his voice dripping with arrogance and annoyance, scaring away the surrounding crowd. "Did you just say you're going to be King of the Pirates?"
"It's Kid!"
"The guy who's won the monthly championship at the coliseum for three months straight! He's got Conqueror's Haki!"
The people in the crowd murmured among themselves.
Luffy looked at him. "That's right," he said. "I'm going to be King of the Pirates. It's decided."
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