How Many Lives Is Your Big Brother Worth?

Like a bolt from the blue.

A terrifying aura instantly crushed Sai's soul!

In that instant, Sai felt as though a giant hand had yanked every nerve from his body, thrown them into a searing-hot wok with scallions, ginger, garlic, chili oil, fermented bean paste, and cooking wine to remove the stench, stir-fried them over blazing heat, then tossed them onto a grill, sprinkled them with chili powder, roasted both sides over charcoal, and finally slammed them onto a hard iron anvil as a massive hammer fell from the sky with a boom... sending his soul flying from his body!

Before Jogo, Sai remained in a full split, his eyes rolled back, tongue hanging out, drool spilling from his mouth as he collapsed to the ground.

The deck fell dead silent.

The pirates who had been cheering just moments ago now looked like chickens with their throats clutched shut, staring dumbfoundedly at the fallen Sai as their expressions grew increasingly exaggerated.

The Pillar... lost?!!!

How was that possible?!!!

Hina's mouth hung open as she stared blankly at Jogo.

Just then, she had thought Jogo was finished!

Yet... in the blink of an eye, Sai was the one lying on the ground!

"What happened?"

She recalled the lightning-fast exchange—Jogo clenched his hand into a fist, then several illusory red dots flashed above Sai's head and vanished. Immediately afterward, the air around Sai suddenly twisted... and the Happo Navy's strongest current Pillar simply collapsed unconscious.

"What kind of move was that?"

"He defeated Sai in an instant!"

Hina's eyes widened as stormy waves surged through her heart.

"Could Jogo be a Devil Fruit user too?"

"Jogo, just how much are you still hiding?!"

At that moment, a howl came from the ship's railing.

"Big!! Bro!!!"

Abu's eyes nearly split apart as he watched Sai fall, his face turning ashen in an instant.

When he saw Jogo look over, he hurriedly picked up the axe from the ground and roared:

"You think you've won?"

"Look around you! They're all our men!"

"There's nowhere you can run!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Jogo snapped his fingers.

The pirates around them who had just been roused by Abu rolled their eyes back and collapsed.

"What about now?"

Jogo rubbed his temples and frowned at him.

Abu's lips trembled, but he could not utter a word.

He recognized it. This was Conqueror's Haki!

He had often seen Grandpa use it before.

He never imagined that one day, he would face Conqueror's Haki himself!

Now, he finally understood why so many powerful enemies still suffered mental breakdowns even after enduring Grandpa's Conqueror's Haki.

That terrifying pressure... that power capable of turning the tide in an instant... it was simply too despairing!

Numbers?

Before Conqueror's Haki, they were utterly useless!

Abu staggered back two steps, despair flashing in his eyes. Then he suddenly roared and charged at Jogo, raising his axe as he stood between Jogo and Sai.

"I won't let you hurt Big Bro!"

"If you want to kill my big brother, kill me first!"

He shouted, his voice trembling.

The pirates in the distance who had not fallen watched in terror, yet not a single one dared step forward.

Jogo wiped his nose, looked at the bright red stain on his palm, and said indifferently:

"You don't need to remind me what I should do."

Since when did I need you to tell me who to kill first?

"You!"

Abu's chest heaved violently. Massive fear and helplessness intertwined within him, leaving him unable to say a single word.

Beside them, Hina opened her mouth, then hesitated.

She really wanted to ask Jogo not to kill Sai and Abu.

After all, they were the grandsons of Chinjao the Cone, the current Pillar and Vice Pillar of the Happo Navy.

If they died here and Chinjao the Cone took up the position of Pillar again, he might stir up a bloody storm in the West Blue!

But... she also understood that she had no reason to make such a request.

She had not contributed even a fraction of effort in this battle.

Jogo had fought the entire battle alone, so naturally, everything on this ship was his spoils of war.

Even if Jogo wanted to kill everyone on board, she could not say anything.

It was just...

"Life will be difficult for the West Blue Marines from now on!"

A trace of worry flashed between her brows.

"Who knows how many people will die?"

Under her complicated gaze, Jogo walked toward Abu.

With one palm strike, he knocked the axe from Abu's hand. Invisible ripples spread across his palm as it broke through Abu's weak vibration defense, grabbed Abu by the face, and slammed him onto the ground.

Thud!

Abu's face turned gray, all fighting spirit gone from his heart, leaving only deathly silence.

For some reason, at that moment, he suddenly remembered all those times his big brother tirelessly urged him to practice Hasshoken every morning.

"If I hadn't slacked off when learning Hasshoken before...

If I had worked a little harder...

If I had been a little stronger...

If... if..."

Of all those what-ifs, only regret remained.

He wailed as tears streamed from his eyes.

"Big—Bro—"

He regretted it. He truly regretted it!

Then, he heard Jogo's voice.

"Actually, it's not impossible for me to hand you over to the Marines."

Abu's crying abruptly stopped, and Hina's eyes lit up.

"The key!"

Jogo held out his hand to Abu.

Abu froze for a few seconds before realizing what he meant. He hurriedly fumbled out the key to the Seastone Handcuffs.

Jogo tossed it to Hina.

"Y-you mean that?"

Abu wiped away his tears and looked up at Jogo in surprise.

"Historians generally don't lie."

Jogo found a pirate sleeping soundly nearby, sat down on him like a cushion, and looked down at the expectant Abu.

Those pitch-black eyes resembled chaotic whirlpools, as though they could drag a person into an abyss.

"But that depends on how many lives you're willing to trade for your big brother's life."

Abu froze, and so did Hina.

Gradually, under Hina's pitying gaze, a pale expression appeared on Abu's face.

He instinctively looked at the pirates around him, some lying down and some still standing, before speaking with a tremble:

"Y-you mean..."

"Yes. Exactly what you're thinking."

Jogo nodded, his gaze as indifferent as ever.

"Are you willing?"

Abu's entire body trembled. Two seconds later, he roared, climbed to his feet, and charged toward the bald man in the distance.

Hina unlocked the handcuffs and stood beside Jogo, her tone somewhat complicated.

"The Happo Navy is finished."

This was even crueler than killing everyone on the ship.

The Vice Pillar of the Happo Navy slaughtering his own crew... once word got out, the Happo Navy's reputation in the underworld would be ruined. They might even be expelled from the Flower Country!

If Sai were awake, he would probably ask Jogo to kill him outright.

Unfortunately, the one awake was Abu. He did not care that much about the Happo Navy. He only wanted his big brother to live.

Jogo did not respond. He merely watched in silence.

A bald man's scream came from the distance:

"No... Vice Pillar, I'm Baldy! What are you doing? Ah!!!!"

Not long afterward, Abu returned carrying Baldy's head.

He tossed the head onto the ground.

Jogo did not even glance at it.

"Continue."

Abu's entire body stiffened. He gripped his axe tightly, gritted his teeth, and turned to leave.

After a while, screams rang out again as he returned with another familiar face.

It was the slave guard who had been assigned to watch Jogo earlier.

"Continue."

Then came the third.

"Continue."

The fourth...

"Continue."

"Continue."

"Continue."

"Continue..."

Rumble!!

Lightning flashed and thunder roared.

It drowned out the desperate screams.

The sky and earth darkened as torrential rain submerged this stretch of sea.

"What a heavy rain! It won't sink the Marines' ship, will it?"

On a Marine warship near Dark Harbor on Crab Claw Orchid Island.

A man dressed like a pirate leaned against the porthole, leisurely admiring the rain outside.

Inside the cabin, not far from him, a major sat in a chair behind a mahogany table, expressionless.

"It has only been raining for one night. Marine warships are sturdy; they won't capsize as easily as pirate ships."

"Hahaha~ Is that so?"

The pirate turned around, the smile on his face thoroughly unpleasant.

"I don't think so!"

"Didn't two ships sink before when Lord Chinjao barely used any strength?"

The major's fists clenched slightly.

"If you're here to mock the Marines, then please leave!"

Endure...

Hold it in...

The situation is unfavorable. I have to endure...

The pirate put on a frightened expression.

"How would I dare mock the mighty Marines? I'm only a little pirate~"

"Still..."

He curled his lips into a smile.

"You should make up your mind soon about how to ransom your colleagues."

"Our Happo Navy is only a small force. We can't afford to feed so much trash!"

"I seem to recall there's even a Marine rear admiral in there? Hahaha~"

"If you wait any longer, the meal fees might double!"

After a while, under the major's gloomy gaze, the pirate pushed open the door and left with loud laughter.

Bang!

The door shut.

The major could no longer restrain his anger and slammed his fist onto the table.

"The Happo Navy has gone too far!!"

His face was livid. He desperately wanted to rush out right then, pull out his gun, and shoot that "envoy" full of holes.

But... that was all he could do—think about it.

The Navy's situation was already a complete mess.

And his was even worse.

This operation had been a disastrous failure. Rear Admiral Stainless, dispatched from the Grand Line, along with two Navy warships... had all been captured by Chinjao.

That alone would have been bad enough,

but Hina, the promising recruit aboard another pirate ship who had drawn so much attention, had also been exposed. Her fate was unknown.

His superior, his subordinate—every last one of them was finished.

Leaving only him to shoulder this bottomless blame.

Now, whenever he closed his eyes, he could practically see a call from Marine Headquarters coming in, summoning him before a military tribunal.

"It's over. It's all fucking over..."

He slumped in his chair. Before he could even catch his breath, a burururu sound suddenly rang out.

He jolted upright and stared fixedly at the Den Den Mushi representing Marine Headquarters' direct line.

His hand rose, then fell. His expression changed several times.

After a long while, he finally clenched his teeth, shut his eyes, and answered the call.

If I'm going to die, then so be it!

"This is Major Watt of the West Blue Navy's 87th Branch..."

A few seconds later, he opened his eyes, his face utterly blank.

"What do you mean I've rendered great merit and I'm getting promoted?"