"Worthless trash!"
"Tch! I'd love to bash his head in with one swing!"
"Kaido-sama, why are you keeping him around?"
"With our current strength, taking him down and replacing him would be a walk in the park!"
"Keeping that purple-haired broomstick around is such an eyesore!"
"If it's a problem, we could just get rid of his subordinates and take over the Flower Capital! Total control of Wano wouldn't be hard at all!"
Hearing Jack's endless complaints, Kaido chuckled lightly.
"Ha-ha-ha! He's still useful!"
"Besides, he knows his place. Don't go too far with him!"
"After all, he is Wano's shogun. A little superficial respect is necessary."
"Tch!"
Jack sneered but shifted his gaze toward King, standing silently nearby.
"King, why are you still wearing that mask here? There's no one else around!"
"Come on, have a drink! Oh, by the way, do you want a mermaid girl? I've got connections, you know."
"You've been single for so long, if you need one, I can find you a few!"
"Don't worry, I'll make sure they're the high-quality kind—older ladies in their late 20s who haven't been married yet!"
King turned his head away, a faint blush creeping onto his face beneath the mask. He muttered awkwardly,
"Jack, you talk too much."
"I'm just looking out for you as a brother! Don't be so ungrateful!"
"At your age, you don't even have an heir. When you're old, don't expect me to take care of you!"
"Shut up, Jack!"
Hearing the hint of irritation in King's voice, Jack decided to back off. However, Kaido suddenly joined in.
"Jack's got a point, King!"
"You really should start considering this."
"Our ambitions won't be achieved overnight. In the meantime, continuing your race's bloodline wouldn't be a bad idea!"
"If you had children with a mermaid, they might inherit some extraordinary talents!"
Kaido's words made King shout in embarrassment,
"Kaido-sama! Not you too!"
"Worororororo! Come on, King, we're all men here! There's nothing to be shy about!"
"I'll have Finder arrange something later. A man of your looks is definitely attractive to the mermaids!"
"Ha-ha-ha…"
Just then, the door burst open, and Orochi walked in with a wide, ingratiating smile. Jack's grin disappeared instantly.
Orochi sat down, raised his cup, and gestured toward Jack.
"Ha-ha-ha! I drank too much earlier! Let's continue, shall we?"
"Hmph!"
Jack stood up without a word, ignoring Orochi's fawning behavior, and walked out the door.
"Hey, you—"
"Wororororo! That's just Jack's temperament. Don't take it personally, Orochi. Let's drink!"
Kaido raised a massive barrel of sake, his burly arm bulging, as Orochi forced a smile back onto his face.
After the Fire Festival ended, Kaido began training Yamato again.
Yamato's performance in the battle against the Whitebeard Pirates had impressed Kaido, convincing him to properly train his daughter. Jack, seeing this, took the opportunity to send Page One and Ulti, the sibling duo, to train under Kaido as well. When it came to mentorship, even Jack admitted Kaido was superior.
What Jack didn't expect was how quickly Kaido's training with Yamato ended.
While Jack and Black Maria were relaxing in a hot spring, Yamato walked in, still wrapped in a towel.
Black Maria looked puzzled at Yamato, who appeared utterly exhausted and lifeless as she trudged toward them.
Jack, blindfolded and leaning his head against the wooden edge of the spring, enjoying a foot massage from Black Maria, suddenly caught a whiff of something strange.
"Ah…"
"The smell of the sea!"
"Maria, how can you still smell so fishy after a hot spring bath?"
Wait… Something felt off. Feeling the softness under his foot, Jack opened his eyes and froze in thought.
Never mind! Who cares who it is?
That night, the three of them stayed in the hot spring inn. Jack also learned just how much he could reduce his body size using his martial arts and Seimei Kikan.
By the next morning, Yamato had fully recovered from a week of brutal training and was beaming with excitement.
As Jack stepped out of the room, fully dressed, he glanced at a group of geisha whispering and giggling nearby. With a straight face, he said,
"Prepare breakfast! Make sure there's plenty of kidney and elephant trunk!"
What a beast! That Yamato!
Damn it! My poor hips are raw!
But hey, pain and pleasure go hand in hand.
Having grown up together, Jack, Black Maria, and Yamato had an unspoken understanding. Thanks to Jack's constant "brainwashing" since childhood, their relationship didn't devolve into any melodramatic mess.
Instead, because Black Maria and Yamato got along so well, the two occasionally teamed up to gang up on Jack.
(A/N: As for the details, I'll leave it to you, dear readers, to use your vivid imaginations.)
A merchant fleet of over ten fully-loaded ships docked at Onigashima. Unlike the fishman supply convoys, this type of caravan only visited once a year. After unloading some supplies, they would head to Wano's factories, load up on weapons, rest briefly, and set off again. Usually, these operations were handled by ordinary pirates and didn't require the involvement of officers.
However, this time, the caravan leader, Culott, sought out Finder.
Finder found Jack. Handing Jack a letter, Finder explained the situation.
"Franky? Who's that?"
"A disciple of Fishman Tom!"
"Fishman Tom? The World Government?"
After reading the letter, Jack handed it back to Finder. Culott hurriedly added,
"Jack-sama, our caravans often pass through Water 7, and this guy, Franky, has modified a few of my ships before."
"His master is the famous Fishman Tom! I've even invited them to join us before, mentioning Kaido-sama's favorable attitude toward fishmen and all your legendary deeds, Jack-sama."
"That's why Franky wrote this letter asking for your help!"
"That kid, Franky, builds some incredible ships with firepower to match! He's a rare talent!"
Jack thought for a moment, recalling the name of the world's greatest shipwright, Fishman Tom, even from as far as the New World.
After a moment of consideration, Jack waved Culott away.
"Alright, I understand. Leave this to me."
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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg