96. Kaido! Issho! Momousagi! Gather On Sky Island!

The call abruptly ended with another Den Den Mushi malfunction.

Not only did the members of the CP organization feel a bit uneasy, even the Five Elders on the other end of the Den Den Mushi couldn't help but feel a ripple of concern in their hearts at this moment!

After the previous war, the Cowboy Pirates seemed to have vanished from the world, leaving no trace of their whereabouts whatsoever.

However, what they never anticipated was that this group of individuals had actually resurfaced!

And still allied with that man, Shiki the Golden Lion!?

At this crucial moment, any signs of trouble are enough to put everyone on edge!

"Damn it, isn't Shiki dead yet?"

"Why are those two linked?" 

"Regardless, there are too many unknowns with those two. We need to take action!"

Just as the Five Elders were deliberating on how to handle Al and Shiki.

The big screen in the conference room suddenly flickered to life!

On the display, Al was seen clashing mid-air with Shiki, both emitting Conqueror's Haki!

Witnessing this spectacle, the Five Elders couldn't remain composed any longer. Their pupils dilated, and they were left speechless.

"How does that kid know Conqueror's Haki, and why is he so powerful?"

"No, something's amiss!"

"Look at the condition of Shiki. Isn't he injured? Why can he still wield Conqueror's Haki?"

"Quickly switch the projection screen to Marine headquarters!"

Inside the Marine headquarters...

Upon receiving the news, Sengoku couldn't help but feel a slight headache upon hearing about the clash between the Cowboy Pirates and Golden Lion Shiki.

Ever since the Cowboy Pirates resurfaced...

The chaos they've stirred up has been nothing short of significant!

"Those rascals..."

Sengoku rubbed his temples in frustration, feeling the onset of a headache, and called for an emergency meeting.

...

Meanwhile...

Kaido, who had consumed copious amounts of alcohol and was on the brink of leaping off Sky Island in a suicidal gesture, was suddenly jolted to partial sobriety by a potent clash of Conqueror's Haki.

He stared frantically at the sky, his mind racing, and muttered to himself:

"That Conqueror's clash is incredibly powerful. Who is this?" Kaido pondered aloud.

Anyone capable of generating such potent Conqueror's Haki must be extraordinary!

After racking his brain for answers fruitlessly, Kaido transformed into his azure dragon form and ascended into the sky.

As someone who relishes combat, Kaido couldn't afford to miss such a battle!

With Kaido's departure, a member of the CP organization promptly relayed the incident to the World Government.

Upon hearing the news, the complexion of the Five Elders darkened even further.

First, the Cowboy Pirates, then Golden Lion Shiki, and now another threat in the form of Kaido of the Beasts!

"At a time when the storm is looming, what are these individuals plotting?" one of them muttered in frustration.

"Summon the nearby CP agents immediately, and have them abandon all current tasks!" another ordered.

"No matter the expense, ascertain the intentions of these individuals at once!"

As the words of the Five Elders resounded, all the members of the CP organization, concealed in the shadows near Sky Island, relinquished their tasks one by one and converged towards the direction of Sky Island!

Meanwhile, inside the Marine headquarters...

Upon hearing the news, Sengoku deliberated for a considerable time.

Faced with the impending storm, the Three Admirals of the Marines constituted the primary combat force, and it was imperative to ensure they remained stationed at Marine headquarters!

After a moment of contemplation, Sengoku let out a long sigh. He then dialed a number and spoke into the receiver:

"Momousagi, I need you to take Vice Admiral Yamakaji and Onigumo and head to the scene."

"Remember, don't engage them directly. Just gather intel on their intentions."

Momousagi on the other end of the Den Den Mushi simply replied with a brisk "Yes!" before hanging up abruptly.

Meanwhile, directly below Sky Island, lies an island...

In a bustling casino filled with people...

A member of the CP organization was preparing to depart upon receiving the order but was halted by a blind man clad in blue.

"Hey, lad, I haven't recouped my losses yet. How dare you leave?"

As his voice echoed, the once lively casino fell into an abrupt hush.

Sensing the sudden shift in atmosphere, the blind man shrugged with a hint of resignation.

"Even though I cannot see, there's no need to regard this old man with such curiosity, is there?"

As the voice trailed off, a chorus of laughter erupted!

"Hey, uncle, are you sure you're not here for a comedy act?" 

"You are still aiming to recoup my losses. I haven't witnessed you winning a single game since you arrived at this casino!"

"That's true. This fellow seems to be in a hurry, so let's not detain him!" 

Despite the sarcasm echoing around him, the blind man's expression remained unperturbed, though his tone carried a serene calmness.

"My name is Issho," the blind man began.

But before he could finish, the casino patrons erupted into a chorus of boastful shouts:

"Please, uncle, we didn't inquire about your name!"

"That's correct, uncle, please don't detain him."

Everyone appeared bemused by the peculiar situation with the blind man.

How could there be a rule against letting someone leave after losing money?

Even if there were such a rule, it wouldn't be the blind uncle's place to enforce it!

Just as the member of the CP organization was about to evade Issho and make his way to Sky Island as swiftly as possible...

A menacing sword aura descended from the sky toward the casino!

Before anyone could react, a deafening explosion reverberated through the air.

In an instant, the once grand casino lay in ruins!

Amidst the wreckage, Issho furrowed his brow, sheathing his sword slowly, and muttered to himself:

"I just want to gamble a bit, no need to make such a scene!"

The member of the CP organization had a frown as he observed the blind man blocking the devastating sword strike.

"Who are you?"

Issho offered no response. Instead, he huffed in frustration, glaring skyward.

"Damn it, is it still around?" 

Sensing the relentless sword attacks descending from above, the onlookers grew increasingly uneasy.

This isn't just one or two attacks!

From his senses alone, there are over 30 sword energies raining down from the sky!

"Are they trying to kill me?" Issho pondered calmly.

Without hesitation, Issho drew his sword and emitted a cold snort.

Gravito Moko (Gravity Blade Fierce Tiger)

With those words, Issho concentrated gravity onto his blade and unleashed a powerful swing!

As Issho swung his blade, a vast horizontal gravitational force surged along its path, obliterating all the sword energies in its wake!

Accompanied by a cascade of halted sword slash suspended in the air, exploding upon impact.

Issho once again employed Observation Haki, only to discover a horrifying revelation.

High above, more sword energies continued their assault downward!

"Is there no end to this?" Issho exclaimed in frustration. He was seething with anger, he simply wanting to indulge in a bit of gambling without provoking anyone!

In the end, he was inexplicably attacked, or was it all part of an assassination attempt?

Regardless, no matter how composed one's temperament, such provocation is intolerable!

Without a moment's hesitation, Issho furrowed his brow. Under the watchful, terrified gaze of the CP member, he stepped onto a stone and ascended into the sky!

Meanwhile, the CP member swiftly relayed information about the blind uncle to the World Government.

The Five Elders had already deduced Issho's identity the moment they heard about his extraordinary abilities. They were intimately familiar with him.

Indeed, long ago, when Issho was not blind, the World Government extended an olive branch to him.

Yet, Issho vehemently rejected their offer!

What perplexed the Five Elders was that despite Issho's formidable power, he maintained a relatively low profile in the New World.

However, he was well-known for his aloofness and reserved demeanor.

The question lingered: How could such an individual be collaborating with these formidable entities?

"So many events unfolding in this time period... What are these individuals plotting?" the Five Elders mused in consternation.

"Haven't those incompetent CP agents found any leads yet? How could there be no updates on such a significant issue!" 

Despite CP members worldwide conducting thorough investigations, they remained clueless.

Al would have found this amusing if he were aware of it.

Even with the World Government mobilizing all CP agents to probe into the matter, they seemed no closer to unraveling the mystery.

It was as if even the orchestrator himself couldn't fathom how this diverse coalition came to be.

He had only set out to Sky Island with the simple goal of obtaining the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, never anticipating the multitude of troubles he would encounter along the way!

Unaware of the unfolding events, Al was deep in his training, fully immersed in the state of a muscular devil-man.

As the effects of the training equipment began to wane, Al took note of the time. It was nearly time for the side effects to manifest.

Once his body had fully recovered, Al soared back to rejoin Nami and the rest of the crew.

True to form, Nami and the others sat patiently, waiting for the side effects of the fitness equipment to subside before resuming their activities.

Under Tom's guidance, they enjoyed a meal while watching a theatrical performance.

It seemed to be evolving into a tradition among their crew!

As long as there was a show to watch, they indulged in peanuts, melon seeds, popcorn, along with chicken legs, steaks, hamburgers...

Not to forget, juice and milk were always on hand.

It felt like a gathering wasn't complete without these snacks!

Even as Al observed the dramatic scene of Shiki facing off against the bull, he couldn't help but feel entertained.

Immediately after spending 800,000 EP, Al purchased a larger and more effective bullfighting red cloth from the system store.

Anyone who locked eyes with it for three seconds would uncontrollably charge towards it, regardless of the number of people. Moreover, it even allowed the designation of a specific target, though only one at a time.

After acquiring the bullfighting red cloth, Al glanced at his remaining EP.

Deducting the 800,000 spent on the purchase, he still had over 1.2 million EP left.

"If only I could buy some more red cloth for Shiki to play with," Al mused wistfully.

However, he knew that it was merely wishful thinking.

Not to mention, every purchase from the system store came at a cost – the price would double each time.

Considering Shiki's current state, his strength had noticeably diminished.

Each swing appeared to require a considerable amount of effort.

Like a painting teetering on the brink of collapse!

After a moment of contemplation, it was time for the crew's ability experience card. Al was taken aback by a surprising development.

Simultaneously with this crew experience, he awakened Conqueror's Haki!

Though it was merely at a beginner level, Al knew that with his innate talent, he would swiftly ascend to mastery.

This was to be expected, a welcome addition to his growing repertoire of abilities.

As the Al props vanished, the bullfighting red cloth was also shredded by Shiki, losing its control effect.

With the loss of control over the red cloth, Shiki collapsed to the ground with a thud, slipping into a coma.

Seeing Shiki unconscious, Al acted decisively. He swiftly extracted Shiki's fruit using a vacuum cleaner.

Without a moment's hesitation, Al sunk his teeth into the surface of the fruit, determined to claim its power for himself.

Suppressing the foul taste lingering in his mouth, Al activated Soru and swiftly traversed around all the islands.

Without the Float-Float Fruit's ability, these islands wouldn't be able to remain suspended in the air.

Once he completed this task, Al found himself utterly drained, his exhaustion evident as he panted heavily.

Maintaining these islands in the air required a significant amount of physical energy.

Just as he caught his breath, the system emitted a sudden notification tone.

[Obtain a Crew Call Card]

Without hesitation, Al swiftly activated the card. As he did, he also noticed the one-button three-link crew summoning card.

Observing the progress bars inching closer to completion, reaching almost 100%, Al couldn't help but anticipate the identities of the three new crew members.

This time, Al's criteria were quite lenient. As long as they weren't as troublesome as SpongeBob, he was open to anyone.

Mid-contemplation, Al's thoughts were interrupted as he suddenly recalled something. Without delay, he exited the system page.

As he glanced around the crowd watching the play, Al counted silently to himself.

One, two, three, four...

But before he could finish, he realized something was amiss.

There were only nine crew members present.

"Where's SpongeBob?" Al muttered, puzzled.

After searching for a while, Al finally spotted SpongeBob sound asleep under a nearby big tree.

His mouth twitched involuntarily at the sight.

"This guy!" Al chuckled inwardly, envisioning the image of SpongeBob sprinting to the tree and dozing off promptly.

Just as Al was about to rouse him from his slumber, SpongeBob suddenly jolted awake. In a flash of light, he appeared by Al's side.

"Captain Al, I sense a formidable aura heading our way!" SpongeBob exclaimed urgently.

Al couldn't help but smirk at the drool at the corner of SpongeBob's mouth. With a playful gesture, he flicked a chestnut at SpongeBob's head.

"Are you still half-asleep? What are you mumbling about?" Al teased lightly.

But before the conversation could continue, Al noticed a azure dragon fixated on them.

On the other side stood a woman clad in a Marine cloak. She possessed a slender figure, a black spider tattoo adorning her right thigh, and a renowned sword named Konpira secured at her waist. Towering at over three meters tall, she commanded a formidable presence.

Al found himself momentarily stunned, his mind swirling with questions.

Kaido, the Marine Candidate Admiral, Momousagi... How did they end up here?

Before Al could fully process his confusion, a deep voice echoed from below the island:

"Who dares to attack me!"

As the voice reverberated, Al was further bewildered to see Issho ascending towards them.

Al's mind went blank. What on earth was happening?

The most absurd thing of all was finding himself surrounded by these seemingly unrelated factions!

Just as Al was about to voice his confusion, SpongeBob, with an exaggeratedly solemn expression, patted Al's shoulder and joked:

"Captain Al, those guys seem pretty intimidating!"

Al responded almost instinctively:

"One month's salary!"

"It's a deal!"

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Read chapters in advance in Patr*on: patr*on.com/Cosmic_Kaminari