Slipped Away

"My name is Teacher Kaido, teaching online."

"Let me give your other grandson a few swings too. Maybe he'll become as strong as Straw Hat Kid."

Su Lin's trash talk was flying at full force. What a joke—he wasn't even using his own face.

Luffy rubbed his head and gave it some serious thought. "That actually seems right."

Ace was a little tempted by those words.

Ace: "Can it really be that fast?"

Garp: "Really?"

'Kaido': "..."

Sengoku: "..."

Family really did stick together.

The Navy's two legends were now on the verge of clashing with Kaido, one of the Four Emperors.

Meanwhile, Whitebeard's side had not suffered much loss among its main fighting forces.

"Didn't fall for it?"

As Akainu wondered, Onigumo charged out from the side and swung his blade at him.

"Akainu, you bastard!"

"You actually dared to deceive me."

Akainu showed no displeasure at seeing his plan exposed. "You don't believe what I said?"

"Thanks to Brother Jinbe, I didn't fall for your scheme to drive a wedge between us!"

"Jinbe?!"

Akainu did not understand. How had Jinbe, the Knight of the Sea, learned of it?

If Jinbe had not interfered, Whitebeard would already have been wounded by now.

"Tch."

"Great Eruption!"

A magma fist even larger than a giant burst forth in an instant.

Fish-Man Karate

Seizing the opportunity beneath the ice, Jinbe used Fish-Man Karate to create a massive waterspout, canceling out Akainu's attack.

Thick steam spread across the battlefield.

At the same time, the events at Marineford were being relayed across the world by overworked seagulls and Den Den Mushi at major newspapers.

500, 700, 1100, 1900, 3003!

At last, the rate of growth reached the 5,000-point mark before slowing down.

"Hahahahaha!"

'Kaido' threw back his head and laughed.

Whatever. Today's bill was on Young Master Su!

After obtaining the system, Su Lin had thought a lot and planned a lot.

But even the cleverest housewife could not cook without rice.

Did anyone know how badly he had drooled over all those things in the system store?

He even dreamed about them every night.

He had originally been ready to try becoming an internet influencer, reviving the Smart subculture and seeing if he could earn some points that way.

He would start by exchanging for basic martial arts, then steadily make his way toward cultivation.

Who would have thought that, after coming to the world of One Piece, he could earn so much through more than just superpowers?

Although Straw Hat Luffy had put him through quite an ordeal, there was a saying for it.

After the storm, there would always be a rainbow.

With 5,000 points, he could do many things in the system store that had everything.

He could go to the cultivation section and buy beginner-level techniques like the Undying Stellar Art, Taiyi Yellow Mystery Scripture, and Eternal Undying Art. He would master them upon purchase, and they even came with starter spiritual power and Adeptal Power.

Or he could directly buy cultivation techniques that relied on comprehension and talent. He could buy quite a few complete ones, but the quality available for 5,000 points was limited, and he would have to learn them himself. If he failed to learn them, that was his own problem.

Su Lin's goals had been simple from the beginning.

Longevity, strength, pleasure.

Once this was over, he would go back to Blue Star, his ordinary world, and take it easy.

As for whether the system or chat group had some conspiracy behind it...

Why think so much about it?

He had once been an ordinary person. Now that he had received such opportunities, he was already absurdly lucky. Why overthink it? If something was placed right in front of his face, was he going to take it or not?

He would take his superpowers and longevity back to the city, and he'd be unstoppable in an ordinary world. Hehehe~

Of course, he had no interest in following some urban-return harem storyline.

Right now, he was the Homelander.

Once he had the ability, he could trigger a spiritual energy revival and earn points from behind the scenes while wearing a disguise, continuing to grow stronger.

After all, his own world was his true base.

Su Lin saw that it was about time.

Other than the Haki covering his body for defense, he wrapped the limit of the Conqueror's Haki he could command around his spiked club.

Seeing this, Garp felt uneasy and worried for Luffy's safety.

Garp covered his fists with Armament Haki and prepared to attack Kaido alongside Sengoku.

Aokiji and Kizaru were also about to take this opportunity to capture Fire Fist Ace and Straw Hat Kid.

"Take it, Luffy! This is my final Thunder Bagua!"

"The final lesson before graduation!"

Black lightning formed by Haki coiled around the spiked club, but the blow was not swung at Luffy.

Sengoku and Garp were, after all, seasoned veterans. They had not lowered their guard for even a moment.

Though they were surprised by Kaido's sudden shift in target, they had been prepared.

Still, that strike successfully held them both back.

"Hahaha, Kaido, you've learned such underhanded tricks too." Garp laughed heartily, in an exceptionally good mood.

He had not expected Kaido to help his grandson. Instead, Garp felt relieved.

At the same time, new questions arose in Garp's mind.

Had Luffy really become Kaido's student? Had Kaido turned Luffy into this in just a few days? Had Kaido even come to the Summit War for him?

Impossible. It made no sense. It shouldn't be possible.

Garp felt as though his brain was overloaded. Something was off. The Haki was stronger than before, but the fighting style was definitely Kaido's.

Could Kaido have gotten drunk, fallen into the sea, and been kicked in the head by the Sea Kings?

Though he could not figure it out, Garp felt much more at ease now.

All he needed to do was beat Kaido up. He no longer had to struggle between family ties and the Navy's justice, nor would anyone accuse him of holding back.

To thank Kaido, he would bring out his full strength and give him a long-overdue beating.

Sengoku had an even bigger headache. He had not expected Kaido to truly be here to help Straw Hat Kid.

This was troublesome.

The situation had become unpredictable.

And the Beasts Pirates might arrive as well. They might even already be here, so they also had to guard against outside attacks.

They had to deal with Kaido quickly.

Just as Sengoku was preparing to go all out, and Garp was preparing to give Kaido a beating while dragging out the fight for a few more exchanges—

Inside the chat group.

Su Lin: "Activate Nika!"

Boom—

Boom—

Massive drumbeats rang out across the battlefield.

"Farewell~" Su Lin waved at the stunned Garp and Sengoku.

The next moment.

Before everyone's astonished eyes, 'Kaido' turned into a young man, left a spiked club on the shattered ground, transformed into light, and vanished into the sky.

"A fake?!"

"Oh no, we were fooled!"

Sengoku came to his senses and turned his gaze toward Straw Hat Kid's side.

Only to see—

"Gear Fifth!"

On a stretch of sea somewhere in the latter half of the New World.

"Ah... So sudden, yet so nostalgic."

"After eight hundred years, I have heard it again!"

"I heard the Drums of Liberation! Though the time and place differ from the prophecy."

"That sound... he is over there."

"Joy Boy has returned."

An indescribably colossal elephant looked toward Marineford.

In the distant past of this world, Zunesha, who had committed an unforgivable crime, had been commanded to keep walking and never stop.

(End of Chapter)