One Piece: The sky is azure, I just time-traveled today.

Page 113

"Hmm, we've warmed up enough."

He cracked his neck, a sound that was quite sharp, and a more amiable smile spread across his face as he looked toward the "Whirlwind" that stood ready in the distance.

"Well then... it's time for the main meal."

He turned around and waved to the exhausted naval soldiers behind him.

"Everyone, just a little more effort! Push that big guy out here!"

The naval soldiers were taken aback at first, then their faces showed a mixture of awe and fear. They looked at each other, then shouted in response:

"Yes, Lieutenant General Garp!"

Dozens of soldiers shouted as they worked together to push a massive, mountain-like object covered in a thick canvas. The heavy wheels creaked and groaned as they rolled over the deck.

When the canvas was suddenly ripped off—

The pupils of the three people on the "Whirlwind" suddenly contracted!

That was... an enormous iron ball!

It was cast entirely from dark metal, its surface covered with rough forging marks, and its diameter was almost half the size of the "Whirlwind"! In the sunlight, it exuded a cold, heavy, and despairing metallic luster.

If it were hit, let alone the "Whirlwind", even a large warship would be instantly crushed into pieces!

"Are you...you're kidding, right?!" Sabo's mouth dropped open, and he almost dropped the steel pipe in his hand. "Old man, are you serious?!"

Robin's breath hitched slightly, and a serious expression appeared on her usually calm face: "This size and mass... is no longer within the scope of ordinary attacks."

Guina's fingers, gripping Ziyun tightly, turned slightly white from the force. Her gaze was fixed on the enormous iron ball, and cold sweat trickled down her forehead.

When that iron ball actually came crashing down, the destructive power it contained far exceeded the sum of all the previous cannonballs!

Unless our own sailboats can be launched dozens of nautical miles like cannonballs, but is that even possible?!

Karp placed one hand on the massive iron ball as if it were just an ordinary exercise ball, and his booming voice rang out again, filled with undisguised encouragement:

"Kuina, try cutting this down too? If you can withstand this attack, I'll gladly offer you the position of Shichibukai! If you can't... hehe, then you'll obediently come back with me to sign a contract! Train for three to five years before you come out again!"

After a brief silence aboard the "Whirlwind," urgent discussions began.

"Can you stop them?" Sabo was the first to speak, his tone more serious than ever before, his gaze sweeping between Kuina and Robin.

Kuina slowly shook her head, her voice low: "Thinking about it more deeply, Grandpa Garp must have used Haki to coat the surface. My sword... can cut iron, but it can't cut through a solid object with that kind of size and mass, and with Haki on the surface. The difference in power is too great."

Ziyun might be able to cleave an ordinary iron ball. But if it's imbued with Haki, it might only leave a mark, but it would be impossible to destroy or deflect it.

If it really hits, the "Whirlwind" will be the first to succumb and be destroyed.

Robin shook her head, her brows furrowed: "My abilities are also ineffective against a purely physical impact of this scale. Moreover, once it reaches a certain speed, the kinetic energy it generates is devastating."

Sabo gripped the steel pipe tightly, his face grim. "My overwhelming power... I'm afraid it won't hold up. If we try to take it head-on, the ship will fall apart first. Then we'll all have to abandon ship and swim naked in the ocean!"

The three looked at each other, each seeing the same answer in the other's eyes—

We cannot confront them head-on!

This is no longer a test, but a blatant attempt to "force surrender"!

On the dog-headed warship, Garp had already begun to stretch his arms, preparing to throw the massive iron ball as if it were nothing in his hands.

"Ready, girls and boys!"

Garp's powerful aura, like a cold tide, began to permeate the deck of the "Whirlwind".

Is it really true that we have no choice but to give in?

Or, the ship is destroyed... and everyone is captured and taken back to the East China Sea?

Chapter 133 Liu Jiu persuades him to leave, to wait until he grows up [Thanks for urging for more updates]

A calm voice rang out like a stabilizing force.

Liu Jiu, who had been silently observing, had somehow appeared behind the three of them. His gaze remained calm, as if the colossal, world-destroying iron sphere was merely an ordinary sight on the sea.

"Going back with Garp isn't a bad thing!"

These words startled the three people who were stuck in a rut, and they looked at him in astonishment.

"Uncle?" Sabo was the first to call out, his face full of confusion. "You want us to... submit? To become those so-called Seven Warlords of the Sea, legal pirates? Isn't that... a slap in the face to what we said in the Twin Straits?"

Kuina frowned, her eyes filled with resistance: "My swordsmanship does not need the World Government's approval."

Although Robin didn't say anything, her eyes were full of doubt and disapproval.

Faced with the three's questions, Liu Jiu's expression remained unchanged. He simply continued speaking calmly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears:

"Becoming a Shichibukai is not necessarily submission, nor is it necessarily a compromise."

His gaze swept over the three of them.

"You only see the constraints, but you don't see the opportunities within them."

“An opportunity?” Sabo frowned.

“Being a Shichibukai is a special kind of training,” Liu Jiu explained calmly. “It puts you in a more complex position, allowing you to observe the world and understand the power struggles between various forces. This is more effective in honing your mind than simply adventuring at sea.”

His gaze fell on Kuina: "Moreover, you are pursuing the world's greatest swordsman."

Kuina's eyes flickered slightly.

"The currently recognized world's greatest swordsman, 'Hawkeye' Dracule Mihawk, is also one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."

Liu Jiu pointed out the key point: "Joining the Seven Warlords of the Sea might give you the opportunity to fight him and even learn about his swordsmanship. This is much more efficient than searching alone on the vast ocean. Nobody even has the desire to make Hawkeye draw his black sword. The strong always rise from opportunities and are born from adversity!"

Kuina tightened her grip on Ziyun's hand slightly, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes. The opportunity to clash with the world's greatest swordsman was indeed fatally attractive to her.

Liu Jiu then looked at Robin: "Being a Shichibukai means you have access to many levels that ordinary pirates can't reach. The World Government's intelligence network, certain sealed historical documents... these could all help you in your pursuit of historical truth. Go, don't bury what you're best at!"

Robin's pupils contracted slightly, and her breathing quickened unconsciously. Ohara's dying wish, the mission to decipher the Poneglyphs, had, at some point, become her deepest obsession.

If the identity of the Seven Warlords of the Sea can truly open the door to more historical truths...

Finally, Liu Jiu looked at Sabo: "As for you, Sabo. Seeing different rules and understanding how power works may not be without benefit to your future path."

Sabo opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found that his uncle's words seemed... to make some sense? Although he yearned for freedom, he also understood that if he wanted to change the world and become the king of the world, passion and fists alone were not enough.

Looking at the three men with their varying expressions, Liu Jiu gave his final summary, his tone remaining calm:

"Temporarily accepting this identity does not mean giving up your path. It can be a tool, a springboard, or a shortcut to obtaining the resources and information you need."

"As long as you hold fast to your beliefs, your external identity is just a garment that you can take off at any time."

He paused, then turned his gaze back to the burly figure on the dog-headed warship who was already impatiently slapping the iron ball.

"Besides... given the current situation, you don't seem to have a better option. Garp is serious, unless the three of you have the ability to soar to the heavens and escape this sea in an instant!"

"Should we risk the shipwreck and loss of life to tough it out, or accept it temporarily and use this opportunity to create more room for personal growth..."

"The choice is yours. If things go as you wish, then be patient for a while. Human dreams never end!"

After he finished speaking, silence fell over the "Whirlwind".

Only the sound of waves and Garp's urging voice from afar could be heard.

"Hurry up and decide! Grandpa's arm is getting tired from holding it up!"

Sabo, Kuina, and Robin exchanged glances, each seeing a clear decision emerging from the intense struggle in the other's eyes.

The uncle's words were like a key, opening another door for them to think.

Maybe... this isn't all bad?

The sea breeze, carrying the scent of gunpowder and sea salt, swept across the deck of the "Whirlwind".

After Liu Jiu's calm, almost ruthless analysis, the struggle on Sabo, Kuina, and Robin's faces gradually faded, replaced by a resolute acceptance after weighing the pros and cons.

"I understand, Uncle."

Kuina spoke first, sheathing her sword and regaining her usual sharpness and determination in her eyes. "I will go. For the chance to fight an even stronger enemy."

Robin nodded slightly, elegantly straightened his clothes, and his eyes gleamed with a thirst for knowledge: "Utilize the rules, rather than be bound by them. I accept this proposal."

Sabo scratched his head, still somewhat reluctant, but sighed heavily: "Alright, alright! I'll just consider it a 'study' session with the old man! But I'm not really going to work for the World Government. I still want to see Mary Geoise destroyed in the end!"

A consensus was reached.

A small boat was lowered into the sea, and the three boarded it one by one.

Just as Sabo picked up his oar, preparing to row towards the dog-headed warship that loomed like a mountain, Liu Jiu's voice rang out again, as calm as ever:

"I will be staying in the Sabaody Archipelago for a while, so you don't need to rush to find me. I will contact you if I need anything."

The three of them stopped moving at the same time and turned to look at him.

Liu Jiu stood at the ship's railing, ultimately restraining himself from wielding the knife. What right did he have to defeat the man the captain couldn't even kill back then?!

If you want to take something away, you must first give it to them!

I will temporarily withdraw from the limelight and wait until the ninth month of autumn, when the fruit is ripe, to reach out and pick it. How delightful that will be!

The sea breeze ruffled the hair on his forehead, and his gaze calmly swept over the three people.

"Take care of yourselves, Garp... he's a roughneck, he doesn't understand all that stuff. The more successful you are, the more at ease he'll feel when you leave!"

He didn't say much in farewell.

But this simple sentence acted like a reassurance, instantly dispelling the last trace of unease in the three people's hearts caused by the unknown future.

No matter what journey they were about to embark on, their uncle was always there to guide them and be their strongest support.

Guina gave Liu Jiu a deep look and nodded vigorously: "Yes, Uncle. We will."

Robin bowed slightly, his tone filled with his usual respect and a hint of barely perceptible dependence: "Please take care, Uncle. We will take good care of ourselves, and we hope you can come to us soon."

Sabo brandished his oars, grinning with his signature hearty smile: "Don't worry, Uncle! I don't care if you come looking for us or not. Once we figure out how the Seven Warlords of the Sea work, we'll be coming to Sabaody to find you!"

The small boat slowly departed from the "Whirlwind" and rowed towards the dog-headed warship.

Liu Jiu stood at the bow of the ship, watching the figures of the three young people gradually shrink on the shimmering sea until they finally boarded the huge warship.

He didn't wave or say anything more.

Only when the dog-headed warship turned around, carrying his three juniors whom he had poured his heart and soul into, and sailed into the distance, gradually disappearing beneath the sea, did he slowly withdraw his gaze.

Between the sea and the sky, only the "Whirlwind" remained, drifting alone.