In the bedroom, Chin Jao slowly woke up.
After staring at the ceiling for a long while, he raised his hand to touch his forehead.
The hard, upright shape that had left him twenty years ago made Chin Jao burst into tears uncontrollably.
It's back... it's all back!!
My invincible Drill Head, my fearless conviction, my countless treasures!
...
Chin Jao turned to look at Huo Qiushan by the bedside, along with his grandsons Sai and Bu Wu, speaking with deep emotion:
"I owe that person a huge debt of gratitude. I must properly thank him. Please invite him here on my behalf."
...
Huo Qiushan remained silent in thought, then sighed softly and stepped forward.
"Old Chin... what I'm about to tell you, please don't get agitated."
Chin Jao snorted dismissively: "How many years have we known each other? Your granddaughter is even engaged to my grandson. Don't you know what kind of person I am?"
"Calm and composed - I wouldn't panic even if a tsunami were coming!"
"Just say what you have to say directly, don't hesitate like an old woman!"
...
Huo Qiushan stayed silent - precisely because he knew what kind of person Chin Jao was...
He presented the document, comforting him: "As the saying goes, out with the old, in with the new. Old Chin... steady yourself."
"Tch! I really think you should retire, you're acting like an old... old... old..."
Chin Jao's lips trembled, repeating the same syllable over and over.
...
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Chin Jao performed a lament that echoed through the beams, lingering all day without fading.
The grief contained in the sound would sadden those who heard it and bring tears to listeners' eyes.
"Damn it all!!! Eighty percent!!!!!!!!"
"How dare that beast make such a demand!! How can I face the previous leaders of the Happo Navy in death if this happens!!!"
"Let him come! Let him kill me!!!!"
"No money!! He can have my life!! I'll even be his slave!!!"
...
...
...
After a long time, Chin Jao grew tired from shouting. Hugging his bright red floral quilt, he covered his face and wept.
He cried like a pitiful child weighing eight thousand kilograms.
"My money... that's all my money..."
"Never! Even if he brings Garp, I'll absolutely never give it to him!!!"
Only when Chin Jao's sobs grew quieter and his breathing stabilized did Huo Qiushan approach, gently patting his back.
Speaking softly:
"Treasure is dead, but people are alive. Look on the bright side, old Chin."
"You've trained the Eight Impact Fist to become the strongest among all Vice Admiral leaders throughout history. The previous generations would be happy knowing that treasure could buy your resurgence."
...
"Who cares about those dead people... this is my treasure!"
Chin Jao wiped his face and said seriously: "Dashan, let's load the treasure onto a ship and set sail overnight!"
"Now that I've recovered my Drill Head, I can open the Treasure Ice Mountain!"
Huo Qiushan shook his head, smiling helplessly: "Don't talk nonsense. Can we really abandon our homeland for those things?"
...
"Then let's tear up the treaty! We'll join forces and beat that brat until he doesn't dare mention this matter again!"
Chin Jiao's gaze hardened, his teeth gritted. "A simple thank you would've been enough! At most, I could've had my two grandsons pledge loyalty to him!"
"Who demands someone's entire fortune right from the start?!"
...
Huo Qiushan watched him calmly. After a long while, Chin Jiao's aggressive demeanor deflated on its own.
"You're right... Even I lost to him. What good would ganging up on him do? That guy possesses the Conqueror's Haki..."
This realization made Chin Jiao even more perplexed. "But he's a Marine! Since when do Marines with Conqueror's Haki care so much about money?!"
"If he loves money that much, why didn't he become a pirate?!"
"And he said I wasn't worthy of Conqueror's Haki... What about him makes him worthy of that kind of disposition?!"
...
"But he has it nonetheless."
"Moreover... To possess such power at his age, he could potentially become one of the Marine Headquarters' Admirals - their ultimate combat force - in the future!"
"The reality is... We can't refuse his demands."
...
...
Chin Jiao's eyes lost their light, looking more desolate than when he'd had his flat head.
Before, the safe couldn't be opened, but at least the treasure was still there. Now it could be opened, only to...
"Calmed down now?"
Huo Qiushan gently patted Chin Jiao's back, speaking softly. "Commodore Griffin told me one more thing."
"What else does he want?!"
Chin Jiao had barely come to terms with losing eighty percent of his treasure. He swore that if that guy made another excessive demand, he'd fight to the death!
Huo Qiushan shook his head. "He's not asking for anything more. Instead, he wants to give us something... more precisely, an opportunity for us to make a comeback."
...
"Old Chin, you still have the ambition to rule the seas, don't you... How would you feel about becoming one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"
——
——
——
"So... Chin Jiao with his restored Drill Head..."
Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's office.
The Den Den Mushi on the desk wore a chibi snow wolf hat, its pure white body adorned with bright red patterns, making it exceptionally distinctive and ornate.
On the other end of the line was Griffin.
After extorting a fortune from Chin Jiao, Griffin had a sudden inspiration - what if Chin Jao could continuously generate income for him, just like the blackboard at the branch office?
His thoughts wandered until they landed on the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea system.
Currently, there were only six confirmed Royal Seven Warlords.
Empress Hancock was under review due to incidents from half a year ago. Griffin didn't know how she managed to pass the review and retain her position.
Could it really be that being beautiful enough earns forgiveness? Is the World Government that spineless?
...
The other five were:
Hawkeye - Dracule Mihawk.
Desert King - Crocodile.
Celestial Demon - Donquixote Doflamingo.
Gecko Moria, and the recently joined Knight of the Sea, Jinbe.
——
An ordinary Commodore wouldn't have the authority to propose candidates for the Seven Warlords.
Griffin was certainly no ordinary Commodore - he had Sengoku's private Den Den Mushi number and frequently collaborated with him on Public Relations Department work.
Sengoku lightly tapped his desk, speaking gravely. "We're currently considering Hanafuda. That guy was originally an important executive of the Beasts Pirates. It seems he chose to leave to collect Ancient Zoan Fruits."
Hanafuda...
One of the original three All-Stars of the Beasts Pirates, he fought alongside Kaido for many years, earning the fearsome title 'Lizard King' throughout the New World.
His hobby is collecting Ancient Zoan Fruits. For this purpose, he entrusted his children to Kaido and left Wano Country to venture out alone.
He recently appeared in the World Government's sights, with intentions to recruit him as the seventh Warlord.
...
"It's hard to say who's stronger between Chin Jao and Hanafuda, but the Happo Navy's influence is definitely far greater than Hanafuda who operates alone."
"Moreover, compared to those lunatics from that madman crew, I think the Happo Navy is much more controllable. What we need are Seven Warlords of the Sea who are willing to obey Marine summons, isn't that right?"
Position determines perspective - Griffin referred to the Pirate Crew he had desperately wanted to join in his youth as a madman group.
If he had successfully set sail back then and survived until Wano Country, he'd probably be calling Kaido "boss" by now.
One could only say fate plays cruel tricks.
...
"Hmm, I'll consider your suggestion. Chin Jao is indeed a suitable candidate. After I meet with Hanaf..."
...
Crunch-crunch-
As everyone knew, the Marine Fleet Admiral's office could randomly refresh with Garp munching on senbei at any time.
"HAHAHAHA! What's there to think about? Just go with Chin Jao!!"
Garp grinned widely, raising his fist: "I still remember that old guy's drill head vividly - it was quite impressive!"
Sengoku gave him a helpless glance, thought for a moment, and responded.
"We can prioritize Chin Jao. I'll leave the negotiations to you, Commodore Griffin."
"And..."
Sengoku's serious expression changed, breaking into a smile: "To actually defeat Chin Jao - that's truly remarkable!"
"You've grown, Griffin!"
...
...
"This has little to do with you. Don't steal Teacher Zephyr's lines."
Griffin wasn't having any of it and hung up the call.
The Fleet Admiral's office once again echoed with cheerful laughter.