Joining the Straw Hat Pirates

"Whoosh... boom!"

Two thunderous blasts rang out in front of Yarukiman Mangrove No. 27. Two streaks of yellow light crossed past Jiang Lin and Kizaru at speeds almost impossible to follow with the naked eye. Both men possessed the Glint-Glint Fruit, giving them the same speed and the exact same Light-Speed Kick.

"They really are identical!"

Kizaru shook his head, studying Jiang Lin curiously. He paid no attention whatsoever to Yarukiman Mangrove No. 27, which had collapsed because of his kick.

"Your speed is the same as mine!"

Jiang Lin gave Kizaru a teasing look. He had wanted a devil fruit power for ages. Now that his wish had come true, he simply had to show off a little.

"Oh dear, oh dear! What a bother!"

Kizaru gently shook his head, seemingly pondering something.

"Never mind! Since you don't know where Sentomaru is, I'll be going."

Kizaru gently lowered his left foot, turned around, and walked off into the distance with his hands in his pockets, never looking back.

As expected of the laid-back monkey. Even after meeting someone with the exact same devil fruit power, he has no intention of looking into it.

Jiang Lin breathed a small sigh of relief after Kizaru left. Although he now possessed the Glint-Glint Fruit's power, he had only just acquired it. There was no way his proficiency could match Kizaru's.

Kizaru choosing to back off rather than push the issue was hardly a bad thing for Jiang Lin.

"Don't you think Mr. Kizaru went a little overboard? He didn't just kick down a Yarukiman Mangrove—he sank a warship, too."

Watching the Yarukiman Mangrove topple rapidly, the Marines stationed up high couldn't help grumbling amid their amazement. Little did they know that while Kizaru had indeed kicked down the mangrove, Jiang Lin was the one who had sunk the warship.

There was no one else on the street where Jiang Lin and Kizaru had been, and the Marines were some distance away. Almost no one noticed anything amiss—except Scratchmen Apoo, who had been standing on a rooftop overlooking the street from the start.

"Huh... so that's a Marine Admiral? Who's the guy fighting him? He can actually use Kizaru's power? Interesting. I'll go meet Kizaru first, then come back for a little chat with you!"

With an arm around one of his subordinates, Apoo watched the scene below with interest. After Kizaru left, Jiang Lin immediately departed as well. The place he was now desperate to reach was where Luffy was—Island No. 12.

In the forest on Island No. 12, Luffy and the others were making their way through the trees when a towering figure suddenly blocked their path. The fellow with the round, protruding belly had barely appeared before Nami and the others raised their weapons in alarm.

"Who are you?!"

Luffy stared at the figure before him with wide, startled eyes.

"He's a Pacifista, a replica of Bartholomew Kuma of the Shichibukai."

Just as Luffy turned to his companions for an explanation, Jiang Lin flashed past him. He raised a finger and fired a dazzling yellow beam at the "Bartholomew Kuma" before them.

"Oh... that's... a light wave!"

Brilliant stars sparkled in Luffy's and Chopper's eyes, and the way they looked at Jiang Lin instantly changed.

"Boom!"

A violent explosion erupted in front of Jiang Lin, accompanied by a thick cloud of dust and smoke that obscured their vision.

The tremendous impact hurled the Pacifista out of the smoke, sending it flying into a thick tree trunk far away.

"Is it finished?"

Nami edged forward curiously. Looking at her slender, shapely figure, Jiang Lin instantly lost his composure. She was one of the prettiest girls in One Piece. I doubt many One Piece fans could keep their cool looking at her swimsuit photos.

"No! But I can take it down!"

Intent on putting on a show for Luffy, Jiang Lin attacked again before the Pacifista could get up. Dazzling yellow light flashed from his finger, striking the Pacifista embedded deep in the tree trunk.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Ear-splitting explosions rang out one after another in front of Jiang Lin. His relentless barrage of attacks left Luffy staring from behind him.

"I've decided. I want him to join our crew."

Luffy looked at Jiang Lin with complete seriousness. His words left Nami, Sanji, and the others behind him gaping in surprise.

"Huh..."

Still pouring everything into his attacks, Jiang Lin smiled faintly at Luffy's declaration. He knew he had achieved his goal. Since he had been reborn in the world of One Piece, he naturally had to become the Pirate King's man. No, wait! The man who becomes Pirate King. That's not right either! I mean, become the Pirate King! Even if he couldn't become Pirate King, becoming a brother at the protagonist Luffy's side—a figure like Dark King Rayleigh—wasn't a bad choice either.

Whatever happened, joining Luffy's crew first had everything to offer Jiang Lin and nothing to lose.

"Whoosh..."

"Whoosh..."

Dazzling light flared above the Sabaody Archipelago. Streaks of yellow and white flashed back and forth between Jiang Lin and the Pacifista. Jiang Lin was deliberately drawing things out to put on a show for Luffy; otherwise, a mere Pacifista would have taken him only a few moves to turn into a pile of scrap.

"Gear Second!"

Luffy braced both hands against the ground and activated Gear Second.

"I'll help you!"

His entire body red and steaming, Luffy charged to Jiang Lin's side.

"Three-Sword Style!"

"Devil Wind!"

"Gum-Gum!"

Once Luffy made his move, Sanji and Zoro charged forward one after the other.

"Six-Hundred-Pound... Phoenix!"

"Mutton... Shot!"

"Jet... Siege Cannon!"

With Luffy and the others helping him, Jiang Lin—who already had the overwhelming advantage—finally let himself go "all out," and his footwork became even faster.

"Yata Mirror!"

After countless rays of light flashed in rapid succession, Jiang Lin appeared in front of the Pacifista. There was no trace of mockery left on his face. Clearly, now that Luffy and the others had joined in, he was going to get serious too.

"Light-Speed Kick!"

Jiang Lin raised his left leg high. A dazzling streak of yellow light appeared as his kick struck Bartholomew Kuma's body. Going all out, he sent the Pacifista flying clean out of the Sabaody Archipelago with a single kick.

"Whoa! Is... is... that a light wave?!"

The stars in Luffy's eyes shone even brighter. He excitedly walked up to Jiang Lin, held out his right hand, and said enthusiastically, "Hey! Join us!"

Looking at Luffy's raised right hand, Jiang Lin didn't hesitate for a second. He held out his own right hand and clasped it firmly.

"What's your name?"

"D. Jiang Lin!"

Jiang Lin answered with a smile. He had wanted to add a "D" to his name for ages, and now he had finally fulfilled that dream.

"Is that so! I'm Monkey D. Luffy! Welcome aboard!"

Luffy grinned happily. Perhaps he never imagined just what changes the man before him, who shared his inheritance of the will of "D," would bring to him and the world of pirates.