As Ortoren hung up the Den Den Mushi, a figure appeared beside him—none other than Gion.
She glanced at the unconscious Kozuki Oden lying at Ortoren's feet, then looked toward the Whitebeard Pirates' ship, the Moby Dick, steadily sailing closer in the distance.
"What's the plan?" she asked. "I just bought a ticket. If we're leaving, now's the time..."
Ortoren blinked.
Wait, with all this chaos happening, someone's actually selling tickets at the port? Aren't they curious enough to watch the fight instead?
"Leave? With Kozuki Oden?" Ortoren looked at Gion, unsure how to even respond.
Gion paused for a moment, then said seriously, "But I only bought two tickets..."
"Ah, this..." Ortoren stared at her, looking baffled. "Are you messing with me?"
Hearing that, Gion stopped teasing him and laughed. "So, how are you planning to clean this up? You're not seriously thinking of fighting Whitebeard here, are you?"
"I might have a little thought like that..." Ortoren replied softly, his gaze drifting toward the distant Moby Dick. After a moment of silence, he continued, "Last time, after I took down Douglas Bullet, I caught a glimpse of that man from afar. I've regretted it ever since."
"Regretted what?" Gion asked.
"Regretted that the so-called strongest man stood before me... and I didn't take the shot." His tone carried a hint of excitement as he went on, "And now, meeting Whitebeard again—don't you think that's fate smiling on me?"
As he spoke, a spark of thrill lit up Ortoren's eyes. His fists clenched unconsciously, crackling with the power of the Goro Goro no Mi.
"But the Admirals won't allow you to provoke a conflict between us and the Whitebeard Pirates," Gion said quickly, noticing his growing enthusiasm.
"I know. That's why I never said I'd start an all-out war here. I just want to measure something... that's not a problem, right?" Ortoren licked his dry lips.
"Measure what?" Gion hesitated.
"How far I am from the strongest," Ortoren said without a second thought.
Seeing the determination in his eyes, Gion realized he had already made up his mind. After a brief silence, she sighed. "Just don't get carried away. If things spiral, we'll be in real trouble."
"Relax. I've got this under control. You know me—I'm mature and calm. Losing control isn't in my nature. Keeping my emotions in check is my specialty!" Ortoren said confidently, thumping his chest.
Gion glanced at the half-dead Kozuki Oden sprawled across the deck and couldn't help but think, How can you even say that with a straight face?
Still, when she looked at Kozuki Oden again, she smiled faintly. "But since you've already fought, we can't just leave empty-handed, right?"
Crouching down, she reached for Kozuki Oden's belt and deftly unfastened the Meito · Ame no Habakiri hanging at his side.
At the same time, she asked, "Wasn't this guy a dual-wielder? Where's the other sword, Enma?"
Ortoren wasn't a swordsman and had little interest in Meito, so he hadn't paid attention earlier. Gion's question made him pause. Scratching his head, he replied, "At the end, he switched to Ittō-ryū and fought me with one sword—that was Enma. But when I hit him with my Elbow Bolt, he probably dropped it. I didn't notice at the time. It's probably been swept into the sea by now..."
Seeing a hint of regret on Gion's face, Ortoren chuckled.
"It's fine. Just a Meito. I've got several more—like Shiki's Kogarashi and Oto, and Roger's Ace. If you like any of them, I can bring them back for you."
"No need. I'm not much of a collector. I just felt it wasn't right to let him off so easily after we fought."
Gion stood up again, slung the Ame no Habakiri at her waist, and spoke with an easy, confident smile.
Seeing this, Ortoren didn't press the matter. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he quickly reached into his coat and fished out a Devil Fruit. A flicker of relief crossed his face.
"I almost forgot about this thing," he said. "Just shoved it in my coat and left it there. Good thing it didn't get damaged. Here, take it. Keep it safe. If things go south between me and Whitebeard, you get out first."
...
Meanwhile, aboard the Moby Dick, Namur had already climbed the rope onto the deck, still carrying Jozu on his shoulder.
"How's the situation!?" Marco hurried over to help, lending a hand as Namur laid Jozu down. His expression was tense.
"I checked him over—Jozu's fine. Just swallowed some seawater, no real injuries," Namur answered at first, but then his tone grew uneasy. "But that Benn Ortoren is vicious. Captain Oden must've suffered badly. Even locking eyes with that man, I could tell—I'm no match for him. And since I was carrying Jozu, I didn't dare make a move..."
At that moment, Whitebeard stepped forward. He first examined Jozu's condition, confirming that the man bore no wounds—only unconscious from drowning—and exhaled softly. Then, his deep voice rumbled.
"Oden. Is he still alive?"
"He is," Namur replied. "I could still sense his presence earlier. It's faint and unstable, but he's alive... though seriously injured."
"We weren't that far from them," Marco said quietly. "Barely half an hour's sail between us... and in just that short time, that guy managed to take Oden down." He looked up toward his captain as he spoke.
"Hmph. That Oden... never learns respect for anything. Maybe this loss will teach him some humility," Newgate snorted, his tone carrying a mix of frustration and reluctant approval.
After a brief pause, he went on, "But that Ortoren..."
As he spoke the name, a trace of nostalgia flickered in Newgate's eyes. His gaze softened, laced with distant memories.
"That kid... seems he truly inherited that bastard Linlin's talent. A troublesome one," he muttered.
Newgate wasn't sure exactly how old Ortoren was—maybe in his twenties at most. Back when he sailed alongside Charlotte Linlin, she too had been in her prime, just past twenty.
On Rocks' ship, Newgate's power was already unmatched. Of course, the rest of the crew were all monsters in their own right—but Newgate had never feared any of them. Not even Shiki.
Only Charlotte Linlin. From the very first day they met, Newgate had sensed that this woman might actually surpass him one day.
Her talent was terrifying. Even Newgate, proud of his own natural gifts, had to admit she eclipsed him.
But in the end, Charlotte Linlin's growth never reached its full potential. Over time, Newgate's wariness faded. He realized that she had wasted her talent—despite her incredible potential, she chose to spend her life having child after child, indulging her appetites instead of honing her strength.
He had thought that a monster of her caliber wouldn't appear again for at least a century. Yet, to his surprise, Linlin had given birth to another one—someone who rivaled even her.
Now, Newgate wasn't sure whether her decision to have children had been a mistake... or a stroke of fate.
"Benn Ortoren..." His memories drifted back to that day long ago.
What was that Mink pirate's name again? He couldn't recall. But Linlin's union with that man had produced a child stripped of any intelligent racial traits—a beast-like infant. That child, along with his father, had been driven off Rocks' ship by Charlotte Linlin herself.
"Perhaps that was the greatest regret of Linlin's life," Newgate murmured softly.
That child, as he now realized, was none other than Benn Ortoren.
Right—his father's surname had indeed been Benn.
"Linlin's gift... perhaps it will bloom within you," Newgate thought silently.
He felt it—a deep, instinctive premonition. Just like the first time he laid eyes on Charlotte Linlin, a chill ran through him.
Perhaps, in the future, the one who would take the title of the strongest man in the world... would be him.
Benn Ortoren.