Luo Chen flipped the chip in his hand, lost in thought.
Because of his influence, the plot had undergone massive changes. Issho, who was originally supposed to become a Marine Admiral during the World Military Draft two years later, was nicknamed Fujitora. However, the World Government had already conducted the World Military Draft recently. Issho did not follow the original plot to enter the Marines and become an Admiral.
"Issho is a rare man of justice. The fact that he didn't join the Marines might be because he minds the crimes committed by Sengoku."
Luo Chen didn't know if his guess was accurate. He didn't intend to approach Issho to invite him to join the Jinghai Army. The strong generally have their own goals and firm wills. Since Issho hadn't applied to join the Jinghai Army yet, he likely had his own ideas and considerations. Furthermore, with his current status, he wouldn't go out of his way to recruit a specific individual. There wasn't much need for it; the current manpower was sufficient.
Luo Chen turned around, preparing to leave. Although Hancock and the others were somewhat confused, they didn't ask questions. Their goal for this trip was not to recruit the strong, but to liberate the Tontatta Tribe.
"Please wait a moment."
A deep, powerful male voice came from behind them. Luo Chen, Hancock, and the others turned to look. The old man named Issho stood up and was walking toward them. The request to stop just now had also come from this man.
Sandersonia and Marigold moved to block the old man from approaching. Luo Chen waved his hand, signaling that it was fine. Holding a short cane, Issho tapped the ground as he walked closer and looked at Luo Chen. His closed eyes slowly opened, revealing a pair of pale, sightless pupils.
"May I ask if your Excellency is the Jinghai Army Marshal Luo Chen, or the Four Emperors Red-Haired?" Issho inquired.
His voice was drowned out by the noisy shouting in the casino. Only Luo Chen and Hancock, who were close by, could hear him clearly.
Hancock was quite puzzled. How did a blind man recognize Luo Chen? And why did he suspect he was Red-Haired?
Luo Chen smiled and asked, "Did you recognize me through Observation Haki?"
Issho lowered his head slightly, seemingly in thought. Soon, he smiled and said, "It seems you are indeed Excellency Luo Chen. I cannot see with my eyes, so I rely entirely on Observation Haki to identify people. There is a type of person who cannot be perceived in front of me: Marshal Luo Chen and the Four Emperors Red-Haired, who possess the power of Observation Killing. However, I have a deep impression of your Excellency's voice; it appeared in the broadcast of the Jinghai Army's inauguration ceremony not long ago."
Issho explained how he had judged his identity just now. He introduced himself very politely. He also mentioned that he had sensed a wave of Observation Haki sweeping across the entire island earlier, and now he was certain it was Luo Chen.
Issho pondered for a moment and said, "To be honest, I was actually preparing to head to Totto Land."
Luo Chen raised an eyebrow and smiled. "It's noisy here, let's talk outside."
The other party's meaning seemed to be that he was preparing to join the Jinghai Army. If Issho were willing to join, Luo Chen would naturally be happy. In the near future, the Jinghai Army would begin its campaign against the pirates of the New World. The more strong individuals they had, the faster they could deal with the pirates of the New World. Moreover, Fujitora Issho was a user of the Gravity-Gravity Fruit. By controlling gravity, he could effectively improve the army's mobility.
Luo Chen and Issho walked ahead and exited the casino. Hancock, Baccarat, and the others followed behind.
"I wonder what Mr. Issho's goal is in going to Totto Land?" Luo Chen asked with a smile as they walked down the wide street.
Issho remained silent for a short while, seemingly thinking about how to phrase it. In the end, he said frankly, "I want to go to Totto Land to see with my own eyes whether the Jinghai Army is truly the iron army dedicated to defending justice, as your Excellency claimed. I have wasted half my life, possessing nothing but brute strength, and I also wish to contribute a small part to calming the current turbulent world. I originally considered going to the Marines. However, the actions of Marshal Sengoku and Vice Admiral Onigumo were shameful. So, I gave up on that idea."
Luo Chen smiled. "Meeting is fate. If Mr. Issho doesn't mind, you can return to Totto Land with me. Once we finish our business here, we will set sail back."
He hadn't expected to encounter Fujitora in Dressrosa. It could only be said that there was indeed fate. The other party's words revealed an intention to inspect the Jinghai Army. To be precise, he wanted to confirm with his own eyes whether the Jinghai Army was worthy of his service.
A smile appeared on Issho's face as he thanked him politely. From their first encounter, his first impression of Luo Chen was very good. He was gentle and easygoing, and he was deeply loved by those around him. Issho's Observation Haki was very special; it could perceive people's emotions. While Luo Chen was isolated by Observation Killing, the several women beside him were within his perception. The four women's feelings for Luo Chen were sincere, and they admired and respected him from the bottom of their hearts.
Issho could clearly perceive this. He believed that with a leader so beloved by his subordinates, the Jinghai Army established by Luo Chen would not disappoint him.
As Issho walked, he said, "Not long ago, I heard a piece of news from the newspaper, and it made me want to visit the Jinghai Army even more."
Luo Chen wasn't sure which piece of news he was referring to. He had been in closed-door cultivation and hadn't paid attention. Issho's subsequent words cleared up the confusion.
"Not long ago, the East Blue suffered an attack by a large number of giant beasts. The Marine bases in the four seas are mostly paralyzed now. It was the army sent by the Jinghai Army, led by Admiral Whitebeard, that resolved the beast threat. They even spent tens of billions to help the disaster-stricken residents rebuild their homes. In eight hundred years, I have never heard of such an act in the history of the World Government or the Marines. It truly left a deep impression on me. The desire to go to Totto Land and see the Jinghai Army for myself became even stronger. That is why, upon meeting Excellency Luo Chen today, I couldn't help but ask for a ride. I am ashamed."
Issho felt a bit embarrassed about asking for a ride. After all, he had no relationship with Luo Chen, and there was no need for the other party to help. Luo Chen couldn't help but smile. Issho was indeed straightforward, speaking his mind without affectation. And the title "Admiral Whitebeard" was something he could barely keep a straight face over.
"Speaking of which, I should let Whitebeard and Akainu have a direct decisive battle. Both are in Impure World Reincarnation bodies, so they can go all out to determine the winner. The century-old question of who is stronger, Whitebeard or Akainu, will soon have an answer."
Luo Chen decided to let the two of them fight as soon as he returned. Earlier, Robin had reported that the internal conflicts among the Vice Admirals and Admirals of the Jinghai Army were not shallow. Mainly, the Marine side, represented by Akainu and Ryokugyu, and the Whitebeard side didn't see eye to eye.
"Including Issho, I'll set up an Admiral Ranking Match when we get back."
Luo Chen was wondering what the result of the Jinghai Army's Admiral power ranking would be.
The street ahead suddenly became chaotic. One tall and one short, two figures in black robes were running toward where he was in a panic. As the taller figure in the black robe ran quickly, her hood shook, revealing a mature and sexy female face. She had brownish-black long hair, beautiful light brown eyes, and a red flower tucked into her hair.
She looked at Luo Chen anxiously. That expression made Luo Chen feel that the other party seemed to have recognized him.
"What was her name again... Violet?"
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