Jiang Lin's First Crewmate-Boa Hancock

"Y-you... you're... inviting... me?"

The Empress stared at Jiang Lin, stammering. She had only been watching the drama unfold. How had she suddenly become part of it? Just moments ago, she had been relieved that Jiang Lin had stopped pressing the matter. Then he had rushed over and invited her.

"That's right! Will you join me?"

Jiang Lin smiled at Boa Hancock. His expression was earnest, without a trace of mockery.

Jiang Lin had his own reasons for inviting Boa Hancock. As a fan of pirates, he wanted to find the One Piece, of course. But becoming Boa Hancock's companion was probably a dream shared by plenty of other fans.

"I... I..."

Boa Hancock looked deeply conflicted. She had Amazon Lily to care for. If she became Jiang Lin's companion, she would inevitably have to leave the Shichibukai. Without that status, what would happen to Amazon Lily? The thought alone terrified her.

"I... re—"

Boa Hancock gripped the hem of her dress, stubbornly trying to force out her refusal.

"From this day forward, everyone on Amazon Lily and throughout the Amazon Lily Kingdom will have my protection. Anyone who sets their sights on either of them makes an enemy of me, D. Jiang Lin. No matter where you are, I'll find you—and destroy you and everyone around you!"

Before Boa Hancock could finish, Jiang Lin stepped forward. He gently took her hand from where it clutched her dress, stood beside her, and loudly announced his decision to the world.

"What? Jiang Lin's decided to protect Amazon Lily? Does that mean the Empress is joining his pirate crew?"

On the Sabaody Archipelago, the reporters gripped their pens and watched the screen with bated breath. If either Jiang Lin or the Empress said anything more, they would record it at once and send the news around the world through their respective channels.

"Hahaha... So your name is Jiang Lin, D. Jiang Lin?"

Whitebeard stroked his beard and smiled, a hint of affection in his gaze. Jiang Lin might not have been one of his "sons," but he had inherited more from Whitebeard than most.

"Jiang Lin! Do you have another reason for announcing your name to the world here?"

Sengoku narrowed his eyes, his mind racing as he considered why Jiang Lin had revealed his name now.

For someone who had attracted as much attention as Jiang Lin, the later he revealed information about himself—and the less he revealed—the better.

After all, the more information he gave away, the easier it would be to dig up everything about him. Once the world knew everything about a powerful man, his weaknesses would inevitably come to light.

A mysterious powerhouse was far more formidable, and far harder to deal with, than one whose weaknesses were known.

So when Sengoku saw what Jiang Lin had done, he could not help wondering why.

But Sengoku had no way of knowing that Jiang Lin was not from this world at all. He had crossed over from Earth. Even with his name, no one here could uncover anything about him.

"So your name's Jiang Lin? What a powerful, irritating little brat."

Kizaru glared at Jiang Lin. Jiang Lin had singled him out so many times, yet Kizaru had only now learned his name. Naturally, he was annoyed.

When Kizaru had issued Jiang Lin's wanted poster, he had not even known what name to put on it. He had nearly gone with "Copy Boy." Only after hearing that Jiang Lin was apparently called something with a "D" had he changed the name on the poster to "D."

"D. Jiang Lin. I'll remember that."

Aokiji watched Jiang Lin gravely, cold air still swirling around him. What he made of Jiang Lin remained unclear.

"D. Jiang Lin!"

"D. Jiang Lin!"

"..."

Across Marineford, people murmured Jiang Lin's name whenever the fighting gave them a moment to look his way. From that moment on, his name had truly made its mark on the world.

"What do you think? Whether you agree or not, I won't take back what I just said."

Jiang Lin smiled at Boa Hancock. He did not want to force her into a decision. He had only removed one of her worries beforehand.

He did not want concern for Amazon Lily to make Boa Hancock choose against her heart.

"I... I..." After pulling her hand free, the Empress could not find an answer for a long time. Jiang Lin had eased her fears for Amazon Lily, but becoming someone else's crewmate—especially with a man as her captain—meant overcoming far more than that.

The Empress carried a secret no one knew. Because of it, she had never shown her true feelings to anyone. Apart from the two sisters who shared her secret, perhaps only Gloriosa occasionally saw her as she really was.

"Don't you want to see the Grand Line? Don't you want to become a crewmate of the Pirate King? Do you want to spend your whole life trapped by the secret on your back?"

Jiang Lin's voice grew quieter as he spoke. By the final question, only he and the Empress could hear it.

"H-how do you know?"

The Empress stared at Jiang Lin in shock. She had never told him anything about that secret. How could he possibly know?

"Oda told me. That doesn't matter. What matters is that I can take you to Mary Geoise, back to the place that hurt you, and give those so-called Celestial Dragons nightmares they'll carry for the rest of their lives."

Jiang Lin looked at the Empress and made his promise in a firm voice meant for her ears alone.

"I... I..."

The moment the Empress heard him say "Celestial Dragons," she broke down in tears.

The Celestial Dragons were the world's ruling class. Even the Four Emperors, powerful as they were, had never spoken of going to Mary Geoise to give them nightmares.

After all, no one who dared attack a Celestial Dragon ever came away unscathed.

Going to the Holy Land of Mary Geoise to confront them was another matter entirely. It would be a slap in the face to the World Government, a challenge to the foundations of its rule.

No person or power would dare bear the consequences. Perhaps none could.

Yet Jiang Lin had looked the Empress in the eye and promised her exactly that. His words shattered the last of her resistance.

"I... I accept! D. Jiang Lin, my captain, you'd better take good care of me from now on!"

Blushing, Boa Hancock took Jiang Lin's hand of her own accord and loudly announced her decision to the world.

"Huh...?"

Gasps erupted across Marineford, the Sabaody Archipelago, and the rest of the world. Her decision had stunned everyone.