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Chapter 291 - Chapter 292: King of the World

The battle between the two Ōtsutsuki had finally ended. The result: Ōtsutsuki Reishiki had fallen, and Kaito had become the savior of the pirate world.

Now, the title of Fleet Admiral was no longer enough to reflect Kaito's status. For countless people, his very name had become a kind of faith.

As for the disappearance of the Red Line and the annihilation of the Celestial Dragons—weren't those good things for the world at large?

The World Government had done nothing but disgrace itself for ages, while the Celestial Dragons' oppression of common folk had been endless. Few had ever held a shred of goodwill toward them.

Yet, the existence of a World Government was still necessary. And so, a new government was quickly reassembled—staffed mostly by former high-ranking officers of the Navy Headquarters.

In truth, today's World Government was simply the Navy under a new name. The Holy Land had also shifted, from Mary Geoise to Marineford.

And Kaito, the Fleet Admiral, had become the supreme ruler of this new World Government. Still, in the hearts of the people, he had already ascended to something higher—they looked upon him as a god.

From this point on, the name Uchiha became synonymous with the clan of the gods. For now, it was only Kaito himself, but anyone who knew him understood: the Uchihas of the future would not be few.

Because of Kaito, people held an immensely favorable impression of the Uchiha. Compared to the Celestial Dragons, it was like heaven and earth.

What's more, the Celestial Dragons had been pitifully weak. In the eyes of the people, they had never deserved to be called "gods." The Uchihas, in contrast, truly lived up to the name of the clan of gods.

...

Holy Land, Marineford.

In the plaza now stood a statue of Kaito. The Navy's old emblem had been replaced by one shaped like a fan—the Uchiha clan crest. The Fleet Admiral's residence had been rebuilt into a lavish palace.

This was the cult of Kaito taken to the extreme. Within the Navy, his prestige had reached a level unseen in history—never before, and never again.

As for the man himself, ever since the battle at Mary Geoise, Kaito hadn't left his residence for a long time.

The devotion of his fans within the Navy was so overwhelming it left even him feeling smothered.

Each day, the one who still faithfully "went to work" in his stead was his diligent secretary, Kalifa. But Kalifa was no longer as overworked as before—because she now had an assistant: Robin.

With Ain also lending her hand, Kalifa still had plenty of time left after handling official duties to spend with Kaito.

As for Shalria, when she first heard the news of Mary Geoise's destruction, she had wept bitterly. That was, until Kaito said:

"Don't cry. From now on, this place is your home."

Hearing that, Shalria immediately quieted down, naturally securing permanent residence in the palace.

Everyone in the Navy knew who Shalria had once been, but no one held it against her. On the contrary, they treated her with great respect. In some ways, her current identity was even more exalted than before.

Because Kaito was about to be crowned "King."

Not Pirate King.

Not Navy King.

But King of the World.

In plain terms—his status would openly take the place once held by Imu.

Kaito himself hadn't even known he was to be crowned. It was Kalifa, returning from work, who brought him the news.

At first, Kaito was dumbfounded. He had thought about such a thing before, but ever since evolving into an Ōtsutsuki, he no longer cared much for empty titles.

But this was something the new World Government's top brass had unanimously decided. Sengoku and the others claimed it was the will of the people—that the world needed a faith to rally around.

With Kaito as its pillar, the new World Government would be unshakable.

And so, without much choice, Kaito found himself crowned as King. Sengoku and the others even prepared a coronation ceremony just for him.

...

On the day of the enthronement, the seas surrounding Marineford suffered a massive "ship jam." Vessels of all sizes surrounded the island until the waters were packed solid. They had all come for one reason—to witness the coronation.

Even though the event was broadcast live to the world, the people's fervor for Kaito had reached such mania that everyone wanted to see the ceremony in person.

Ordinarily, Marineford never allowed random ships to approach. But today, the restriction was lifted. Only entry into Marineford itself was limited. Those without permission had to watch from their ships.

Among those allowed in were kings from various nations, and, of course, people connected to Kaito—like Nami and Nojiko.

There was also someone special who had been permitted. When Garp saw him, he nearly dropped dead of shock.

It was his son—Monkey D. Dragon.

And not just any man, but the leader of the Revolutionary Army.

Garp's expression as he looked at his son was deeply complicated. Dragon, however, stood calm and steady.

"Father, I'm here."

Garp gave a slow nod, his voice heavy.

"Why have you come? Don't tell me you plan to sabotage this coronation?"

"How could I? To do so would be to stand against the entire world."

Hearing that, Garp let out a breath of relief. Then he asked again:

"So, what are you here for?"

Dragon lifted his gaze to the statue of Kaito outside the window, his eyes filled with respect.

"Of course, to congratulate our King. And…I want to return to the Navy."

"Oh, that's good… na-NANI!?"

Garp was so shocked that a snot bubble burst from his nose. Dragon, ever thoughtful, fished a tissue from his pocket and handed it over.

But Garp barely noticed. He sniffled hard, then grabbed Dragon's shoulders, shouting:

"What did you say!? Say it again, dammit!!!"

Dragon, wiping the spray of spit from his face with a look of resignation, repeated word by word:

"I said I'm here to congratulate—"

"Skip to the next part!"

"…I want to return to the Navy."

Garp stared blankly at him for a long moment, then suddenly pulled Dragon into a tight embrace, muttering:

"Good… good. You're back, that's all that matters…"

Dragon fell silent at his father's reaction. He knew his leaving the Navy all those years ago had dealt Garp a heavy blow. Back then, after witnessing the corruption of the old World Government, Dragon had believed he had no choice but to act—even if it meant hurting his father.

But now, things were different. The old World Government had been completely wiped away by Kaito. Kaito had saved the entire world from Im's grip. On top of that, pirates wreaking havoc across the seas had grown fewer by the year.

Dragon realized his Revolutionary Army no longer had a reason to exist.

And so, he led his followers back to the Navy, to see for themselves what kind of world would emerge under Kaito's rule.

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