I Am Kaido - Chapter 109

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Jinbei slowly swam to the bottom of the sea, reaching out to stop Kraken, the octopus who wanted to help dispose of Luffy's tentacles. The octopus moved silently, its tentacles twisting and waving as it slowly retracted back into its territory. It had lived at the bottom of the sea for a long time and clearly knew who the king was here.

Jinbei looked at the delirious Luffy, sighed, and scooped him up. He clamped Luffy under his arm, then swam towards Noah. The fishmen watched with adoration and admiration. Jinbei went through the coating and threw Luffy onto the deck, where he rolled around a few times. On the ground, Luffy regained some strength, coughed violently, and expelled some pale pink seawater from his lungs.

Jinbei looked at him worriedly for a while, then said to the mermaid brothers who gathered around, "Bring a bubble coral. I'll personally send him back."

"Yes, Brother Jinbei!"

In a bubble, Jinbei and Luffy gradually floated up to the surface. By this time, Luffy had woken up. Thinking he had failed again, he couldn't help but doubt himself. He had clearly become stronger over the past two years, but today's battle had not been won. He didn't know what to say and had almost lost all confidence. He even doubted whether he could become stronger, even if he escaped from Kaido.

When he felt himself being held in Jinbei's arms and the bubbles rising, Luffy said gloomily, "Are you going to take me to Kaido, Jinbei? He's going to kill me and kill more people I care about in front of me. Two of my companions have died at his hands—next it will be Nami, Zoro, Robin. Didn't you save me two years ago? Why can't you save me again, Jinbei?"

Jinbei listened as Luffy listed the names of his friends, imagining Kaido torturing Luffy. As a friend, he felt distressed, but he didn't change his actions. He knew what he had to do. 

"Sorry, Luffy." Jinbei looked up at the boundless dark sea. "I can't betray my race. Princess Otohime and Fisher Tiger are watching me from heaven."

"Is it so..." Luffy sat slumped against the bubble, paralyzed and hopeless. He knew what Hancock had struggled for him. He felt guilty for her. Even though he had been helped, he still faced doom.

The two were silent, waiting for the bubbles to rise slowly in the silent sea. Time seemed to drag as Luffy's mind became a blur. Until the light from above shone through, releasing them from the darkness. Luffy just looked at Jinbei dumbfoundedly. As death approached, his heart slowly calmed down.

"Then that's the last time we meet, Jinbei," Luffy said solemnly.

With those words, silence fell between them. The bubble slowly rose, breaking the surface of the sea before dissipating with a soft bang.

Jinbei emerged from the water with Luffy and made his way back to shore. As soon as Hancock saw them, she was momentarily surprised. Luffy had once told her that Jinbei was his friend, so she assumed he would help them now. But when she noticed Luffy slumped under Jinbei's arm like a lifeless doll, her concern turned to panic.

"Luffy!!!" Hancock shouted nervously and then angrily asked, "Why did you bring him back, Jinbei?!"

Tesoro, who had been dealing with the female emperor, looked confused. Was this last Shichibukai friend or foe? Jinbei laid Luffy flat on the ground and turned to Hancock.

"I have joined the Beasts Pirates," he said calmly.

Ignoring Tesoro's pleased expression and the fury in Hancock's eyes, Jinbei gave Luffy one last look, filled with desperate calm and apologetic guilt. He turned and jumped back into the sea, heading for his Noah's Ark.

"Jinbei, you bastard!" Hancock screamed at the rippling water, her forehead veins bulging with anger.

"Don't blame him, cough..." Luffy said weakly from the ground, struggling to breathe.

"Luffy!" Hancock ran to his side, glared at Tesoro, and then held Luffy's hand. Her eyes reddened with worry. "Why... Why are you talking to him now?"

Tesoro shrugged. With Luffy back, there was no reason for him to continue his fight with the female emperor, especially since he hadn't had the advantage in the first place. All he had to do now was wait for Governor Kaido's return. He even admired how Kaido had planned to guard against Luffy's escape from Fish-Man Island. Such strength and intelligence seemed almost too much.

"He did it to protect the people of Fish-Man Island," Luffy said hoarsely. He forced his eyes to meet Hancock's. "He made the right choice."

Hancock was shocked, her eyes filling with tears. Jinbei's predicament was similar to her own. Jinbei chose to side with Kaido, while she chose Luffy.

"Sorry, Hancock," Luffy muttered as his eyelids fluttered shut. "You really... shouldn't have worried about me..."

He needed to conserve his energy and Haki to fight Kaido one last time.

"Luffy..." Hancock squeezed his hand tightly, her tears dripping onto his body. She knew that saving Luffy was impossible now, and she would have to face Kaido's wrath alone.