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[TIOP] Chapter : 51
🕑 Added 2025-02-28 06:43:04 +0000 UTCJack, positioned just behind the energy wave, was forced to halt his second punch. Reacting swiftly, he executed Geppo to evade Rayleigh’s slash.
Boom!
Jack turned his head slightly, his gaze landing on a massive bubble tree behind him—cleanly severed into two.
Rayleigh, rather than pursuing him as he descended, chose to stay his hand, giving Jack an opening for a counterattack.
Jack unleashed two consecutive punches, pouring every ounce of his chakra and haki into them, his focus locked onto Rayleigh’s every movement.
This time, Rayleigh’s expression grew serious. Yet, instead of countering with another sword slash, he took a different approach. His entire arm darkened—coated in Haki—as if he intended to personally test the true power of Jack’s punches.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The clash between Rayleigh and the Jack sent shockwaves rippling through the air, each explosion echoing across the field. But Jack didn’t let up. He steeled himself and pressed forward.
As expected, just as Jack unleashed his punch, Rayleigh emerged unscathed from the thick smoke, his calm demeanor unwavering. Seeing this, frustration surged through Jack—despite everything, his attacks hadn’t even fazed him. Worse yet, his chakra and haki were nearly depleted.
Still, he clenched his teeth and refused to back down. The moment Rayleigh engaged with the dragon-shaped energy, Jack summoned the last remnants of his strength and unleashed a final strike.
Boom!
Before Jack could fully execute his attack, Rayleigh—who had already dispersed the previous strike with ease—suddenly appeared before him. Rayleigh countered with a single, decisive punch.
Boom! Boom!
"Commodore!"
Lena’s voice rang out as Jack was sent flying like a broken kite, crashing into the distance. Without hesitation, she sprinted toward him.
Watching from the sidelines, Shakky sighed and shot Rayleigh a reproachful look. "He's just a kid. Did you really have to hit him so hard?"
She had taken a liking to Jack. He wasn’t like the average marine—something about him felt different. That was why she had predicted he would eventually become a pirate. After all, history had shown that marines with true ideals and an unshakable sense of justice eventually faced a crossroads. When they climbed high enough, they would either bend the knee… or be forced to walk away.
“The kid’s last move actually posed a threat to me. That’s the only reason I reacted the way I did. If I hadn’t, I might’ve been the one taking the hit. I’m an old man—weak arms, weak legs—it’s only fair he takes the fall instead!” Rayleigh chuckled.
Shakky shot him a skeptical look. She knew Rayleigh’s strength well. But Jack? He was still so young. Could he really be capable of threatening someone like Rayleigh? That seemed impossible.
“This kid’s a real talent,” Rayleigh continued with a grin. “That Garp bastard has found himself a treasure. Give him a few more years, and he might actually be able to challenge me.”
Noticing Shakky’s doubts, Rayleigh elaborated.
Jack’s last attack didn’t mean he was on Rayleigh’s level—it simply meant that if it had landed, it had the potential to wound him. But Rayleigh wasn’t foolish enough to stand still and let himself get hit. That’s why he had ultimately said Jack would need a few more years before he could truly compete with him.
Just as Lena finished bandaging Jack’s injuries, a group of marines rushed over, drawn by the massive explosion.
“Lieutenant Lena, what happened?” one of them asked urgently.
“It’s nothing serious,” Lena replied. “Medic, check on the Commodore. Once he’s stable, we’re heading back to the ship.”
She cast a glance toward the spot where Shakky and Rayleigh had been standing moments ago. They were gone. Deciding it wasn’t her concern, she focused on getting Jack out of there.
“Ahem—no need to fuss, I’m fine,” Jack muttered as he pushed himself up from the ground, coughing a few times. “Is the warship’s coating ready?”
"Report! The preparations are complete, and we can depart at any time!" a marine responded promptly.
"Sir, shouldn't we rest for a couple of days before setting off? After all..." Lena asked, concern evident in her voice.
"It's fine. I'm just a little exhausted," Jack reassured her, shaking his head. "Besides, you're still on board, right? I’ll recover quickly. If we don’t leave now, word of my fight with Rayleigh will reach headquarters, and I’d rather not have Sengoku-san breathing down my neck."
Though he looked worse for wear, Jack wasn’t seriously injured. However, if Sengoku got wind of his battle with Rayleigh, there was no way he’d escape without consequences. The best course of action was to leave before trouble caught up to him.
Without delay, Jack returned to The Pearl, and set sail toward Fishman Island—Whitebeard’s territory. If he wanted to meet Whitebeard, this was the best place to start.
As a Marine Warship, the The Pearl was equipped with seastone reinforcements, which kept the sea kings and other deep-sea creatures at bay. Thanks to this, Jack and his crew safely reached Fishman Island, nestled in the depths of the ocean.
"Sir, should we go in directly?" Lena asked, glancing at the port, where numerous pirate ships were docked.
Jack shook his head. "No, not here. Both Whitebeard and the Fishmen deserve respect."
He understood Lena’s concerns. She knew he never let real pirates go free, and seeing so many pirates gathered in one place, she likely assumed he wouldn’t want to let this opportunity slip by.
"You’re right—this isn’t a place where the Navy can act recklessly."
No sooner had Jack spoken than a deep voice sounded from beneath the warship. It belonged to a fishman, unmistakably a whale shark.
"Knight of the Sea Jinbei?" Jack turned toward the voice, his tone laced with surprise.
"Indeed, it’s me," Jinbei replied calmly. "May I ask why the Navy has appeared here?"
Lena also turned to look, her curiosity piqued. The fishman known as the Kinght of the Sea was a burly figure with thick, stormy eyebrows and prominent sideburns. His hairstyle was fringed, and a short black beard covered his chin. A jagged scar ran from the corner of his left eye, and his lower jaw featured two large, protruding teeth. He was undoubtedly a whale shark fishman.
"Would you believe me if I said I was just passing through?" Jack asked with a casual shrug.
Jinbei frowned. He was already familiar with Jack. Before the Pearl had even arrived at Fishman Island, he had received intelligence on him. From Jinbei’s perspective, Jack’s presence here likely wasn’t a coincidence. He suspected the Navy had sent him as a warning—perhaps because Jinbei had skipped the last meeting of the Shichibukai.
"If you can’t explain your purpose here, then I won’t allow you to set foot on the island," Jinbei stated calmly. At his signal, members of the Sun Pirates emerged from all around, putting the navy crew on edge.
Fighting fishmen in the open sea was already a significant disadvantage for humans—doing so in the depths of the ocean was nothing short of suicide.
Jack was about to respond when his expression suddenly shifted. After a few moments of silence, he exhaled and said, "Take me to His Majesty Neptune. I have something important to discuss with him. I’ll go alone if necessary—there are so many of you, surely you’re not afraid of me."
Jinbei gave Jack a curious look. He could tell that this hadn’t been Jack’s original plan, and yet, something had made him change his mind at the last moment.
What Jinbei didn’t know was that Jack had just received an unexpected mission from his system, forcing him to alter his course.
"Wait here. I need to consult His Majesty first," Jinbei said after some thought. He gestured for a nearby fishman, gave him a message, and the fishman quickly swam off toward Ryugu Palace.
As they waited, Jack turned to Jinbei and asked, "By the way, Jinbei, I heard from Ace that you two are close. Do you know where he is? I’ve been looking for him for a while but haven’t been able to track him down."
Jinbei's expression immediately turned cautious. "Brother Ace? Why are you looking for him?"
Jack chuckled. "Huh? Didn’t he tell you? I’m his brother."
"Brother?" Jinbei repeated in shock.
Even the surrounding members of the Sun Pirates were visibly stunned. With Fishman Island still under Whitebeard’s protection, they were naturally familiar with Ace—the commander of Whitebeard’s Second Division. The revelation that Jack was his brother came as a complete surprise.
"Yes, I'm worried about him," Jack said gravely. "I warned him before—Blackbeard Teach is an incredibly dangerous man. I urged him to be cautious, but he wouldn't listen. Now, Teach has killed Thatch, the Fourth Division Commander, and seized the Dark-Dark Fruit he's coveted for so long. His power is terrifying."
Jack took a deep breath before continuing. "But Ace still refused to heed my warning. He insisted on hunting Teach down, and now I fear for his safety."
Jinbei studied Jack carefully, uncertain whether to trust his words.
"Aren't you a marine? How can you be Ace's brother?" He asked, his tone cautious.
Jack raised an eyebrow. "You really don’t know who Ace’s grandfather is?"
Jinbei blinked in confusion. "Who?" he asked instinctively.
Jack shook his head with a sigh. "Never mind. This isn’t the place to discuss such things. If you ever meet Ace again, just ask him yourself."
Jinbei considered Jack's words. While he still had some doubts, Jack's reputation as a marine was well known—he wasn’t the type to spread lies. Slowly, Jinbei let down his guard and said, "All I know is that Brother Ace left Whitebeard’s ship to track down Teach’s whereabouts. But as for where he is now, I really have no idea."
"I ran into him in Alabasta, but because of Luffy, he slipped away," Jack admitted. "Later, I went to Jaya Island and found signs of Teach, but no trace of Ace."
"Luffy? You mean Ace's younger brother?" Jinbei asked with a grin. "Ace mentions him often."
"That's right. A reckless idiot who never plays by the rules—he’s always bound to stir up trouble," Jack said, rubbing his temples.
"Hahahaha!" Jinbei burst into laughter.
In a short time, Jack not only grew familiar with Jinbei, but he also earned the respect of the Sun Pirates, who began to view him in a more favorable light.
"Let's go. His Majesty has agreed to meet you, but you must go alone," Jinbei said after receiving confirmation from his fellow fishmen.
Jack nodded, instructing Lena to maintain order among the navy and ensure the warship was well cared for. With that, he followed Jinbei toward the Ryuugu Palace.
As they turned a corner, Jack leaned in and spoke in a low voice, "Jinbei, I have one more request. Could you assign a few skilled fighters to remain here for crowd control? We are marines, after all, and not every fishmen is welcoming toward humans."
Jinbei considered the request, then nodded. He gestured to his deputy captain, Aladdin, and quietly issued instructions.
Upon arriving at the Ryugu Palace, Jack finally came face to face with the king of the fishmen, Neptune.
The imposing figure before him wore a regal crown atop his head, his thick, fiery orange-red hair and beard lending him an air of majesty. Tattoos resembling flames adorned his muscular arms, and his dense body hair only added to his formidable presence. This was King Neptune, known as the Great Knight of the Sea.
"Marine, state your purpose for coming here," Neptune said in a deep, serious voice.
Jack stepped forward, saluted, and spoke plainly. "Your Majesty, first and foremost, allow me to clarify—I am not here today as a representative of the navy, but solely on my own behalf."
Neptune glanced at his ministers and Jinbei before responding, "Very well. Speak."
