Subsequently, Issho changed out of his Casino Boss bodyguard suit and put on the Goa Empire’s Imperial military uniform.
The Casino Boss looked at the Baron medal on Issho’s chest, personally bestowed by King Wang Shi, his eyes filled with envy and longing.
This lucky blind bodyguard!
He actually gained the Goa Emperor’s favor so easily and was even directly granted a noble title.
It truly made people envious to the point of red eyes and gnashing teeth.
Boss Sheng Xin also very much wanted to obtain a Goa Empire Baron medal!
With the East Blue Overlord’s protection, he would be able to walk freely in the Sopegi Kingdom, and even the royal family would have to give him some face.
He wouldn't even need to pay protection fees to the Capone Bege gang.
However, Wang Shi didn't spare him many glances, not even offering words of recruitment.
This left Boss Sheng Xin incredibly disappointed.
After collecting the 1 billion Berries, Boss Sheng Xin took advantage of Wang Shi’s ceremony to bestow the title upon Issho, and he quickly made a secret phone call to the gang, canceling the emergency support, so as to avoid conflict between the gang and Wang Shi.
But what Boss Sheng Xin didn't know was that Capone Bege had no intention of clashing with this East Blue Overlord for the sake of a casino.
Now was a crucial time for him to dominate the West Blue, and Bege didn't want to get involved with Allied Nations forces or pirate forces outside of the underworld.
Moreover, Wang Shi also had Marine protection by his side, which made it even more impossible to create complications and provoke the Marine.
This completely did not align with Capone Bege’s interests and plans.
Now that the Casino Boss had canceled the support, it just made the gang too lazy to bother with such a high-risk mess.
...
After Issho officially joined, Wang Shi and his group stayed on Twin Serpent Island for less than half a day before setting sail.
Reiju and the others had already toured Twin Serpent Island, this underworld island, and Sanji had also purchased some West Blue ingredients.
The Casino Boss watched the departing fleet, his eyes filled with both regret and relief.
But at least there was no crisis of annihilation, and he even earned 200 million Berries from a blind bodyguard.
This was simply too good a deal.
As for whether he truly profited, that would only be revealed when Issho’s name became famous throughout the seas.
...
On the sailing Exile Emperor.
With the addition of the two powerhouses, Aramaki and Issho, Wang Shi felt that the sky was so blue and the wind was so comfortable today.
His forces had finally begun to take shape, possessing the strength to challenge the Four Emperors Pirates.
“Blind Uncle! You’re actually a Great Swordsman?”
Zoro and Saka simply couldn’t believe that King Wang Shi had recruited another top-tier powerhouse, and a master swordsman at that.
Then they wouldn’t need Aramaki, this half-baked teacher, to instruct them.
Clearly, Issho was more suitable to teach them swordsmanship and Haki.
“Uncle Issho, your cane sword is actually a Supreme Grade Swords, Kitetsu!! It also has an alias called “Gambler’s Kitetsu”!”
“The name Gambler’s Kitetsu, it couldn’t have come from you, could it?”
Tashigi frantically flipped through a book, finding the cane sword, crafted by the Wano Country swordsmith Fugetsu Kousaburo, in the weapon registry.
This Supreme Grade Swords, which had existed for countless years, was originally named Kitetsu.
It was a personal sword specially crafted by Fugetsu Kousaburo for an underworld swordsman boss in Wano Country back then.
The underworld in Wano Country is also called Kitetsu!
This is the origin of the sword’s name!
Another Supreme Grade Swords, first generation kitetsu, also came from a Wano Country swordsmith, and there was even a series of cursed swords.
The Kitetsu the Third in Zoro’s hand now came from this cursed sword series.
Tashigi, like a little girl secretly playing with a toy, circled around Issho, wanting to touch this long-famous Supreme Grade Swords.
Issho, this gentle uncle, generously handed his cane sword to Tashigi, the adorable Marine who loved swords like her life.
“Thank you, Uncle Issho!”
Tashigi happily drew Kitetsu and even swung it a few times.
One should know that even Vice Admiral Momousagi Gion hadn’t let Tashigi play with her Konpira.
She didn't expect this uncle to be so accommodating.
Zoro and Saka also wanted to experience the charm of a Supreme Grade Swords.
One of their goals was to one day possess a Supreme Grade Swords of their own.
After Tashigi played with it for a while, the two successively took the Supreme Grade Swords to try out the feel.
However, Zoro felt that this type of cane sword didn’t suit his style, and since this cane sword was also the blind uncle’s blind cane, it was even more impossible for them to have any other ideas.
Finally, Saka returned the cane sword to Issho.
“Baron Aramaki, are you sure Baron Issho’s strength is no less than yours?”
Van Auger’s eyes were full of shock, not expecting another unknown powerhouse with the strength of a Three Disasters General Stars and Admiral candidate.
Could it be that King Wang Shi, who believes in fate, truly has divine assistance, allowing him to find these unknown top-tier powerhouses?
“This guy is indeed very strong!”
Aramaki felt a stronger sense of threat from Issho than from the elite Vice Admiral Momousagi Gion.
That is to say, Issho is stronger than Momousagi Gion.
“His Majesty’s subordinates are growing in number, I also need to work harder.”
Eric felt that Aramaki and Issho, who were so highly regarded by Wang Shi, would surely become great figures in the future, capable of establishing a reputation no less than the King of Exile.
As one of the earliest followers of Wang Shi, he couldn’t fall too far behind.
“Issho, please guide our swordsmanship and Haki from now on.”
Wang Shi would not waste these resources; with the guidance of these two powerhouses, his and Zoro’s speed of becoming stronger would be even faster.
One should know that in the original timeline, Zoro got lost in the East Blue for two years, and his strength barely increased.
Among the Straw Hat Pirates, he was the only one who trained diligently, without pressure, and his speed of becoming stronger was still decent.
But on Kuraigana Island, Zoro trained with those baboons and Hawkeye Mihawk for two years, and his speed was like a rocket.
This shows how important it is to have a powerful mentor.
Without guidance, relying purely on self-exploration, it would probably take fifteen to twenty years to fully mature.
Like the older generation of powerhouses, none of them reached their peak strength before their thirties or forties.
Unlike these Supernovas of the Worst Generation, who, in their teens and early twenties, have already grown to an incredible degree.
“Your Majesty and the Barons all have excellent talent, with great room for growth.”
Issho did not refuse; he felt that the atmosphere on the ship was surprisingly good.
He had thought that Wang Shi, the Goa Emperor, would be very domineering and serious.
But now seeing the behavior displayed by Zoro and Tashigi, it was clear that Wang Shi was quite casual and relaxed in front of his own people.
“Your Majesty, do we really need to go find that Capone Bege gang first? Why not go to the battlefield of Flower Country and Sang Country first?”
Aramaki was already impatient to display his might before the world, defeat those high-bounty pirates, and raise his noble rank.
“Baron Aramaki wants to stop the war between Flower Country and Sang Country?”
Issho’s ears perked up at the words. Could Aramaki, like himself, be a man who hated war and longed for peace?
If King Wang Shi were to intervene, and with him and Aramaki taking action, it might truly be possible to stop the fierce war between these two pirate Allied Nations.
Issho, being in the West Blue, had naturally heard of the fierce war between these two powerful West Blue nations.
Both nations were among the fifty nations of the World Conference.
Both sides wanted to suppress the other and become the strongest nation in the West Blue.
To gain a wider sphere of influence and collect more protection fees.
...