#442 - Chapter 442 Kaido Loses His "Freedom"

Kaido watched the warship sail further and further away, clenching his teeth.

His hand covered his heart, a mix of complex emotions surging within him.

The mark was still clearly imprinted on his chest, so close to his heart, as if constantly reminding him—he was completely controlled by Jin An.

This confrontation was almost a crushing defeat; many of his backup plans hadn't even had time to be implemented before Jin An easily dismantled them.

The anger in Kaido's heart was so suppressed that his chest felt stuffy, but he dared not act rashly.

He wasn't sure what the mark did, but he didn't dare gamble, especially with its location so close to his heart.

"What a humiliation..." Kaido muttered, gritting his teeth, his eyes complex, full of unwillingness and helplessness.

At this moment, King, Queen, and the others crowded around, anxiously examining Kaido from head to toe.

However, they were surprised to find that their captain didn't have any obvious injuries.

They exchanged confused glances, King frowning: "Captain, are you alright? What... what's going on?"

Queen couldn't help but scratch his head: "Boss, could it be that you're...?"

Kaido was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice: "Jin An will send supplies over in a while."

"What?" King and Queen exclaimed almost in unison, their faces full of disbelief.

They were filled with doubt; their captain had clearly lost, so how could he still receive supplies?

What was going on?

They all looked at Kaido, a hint of speculation in their hearts.

Kaido's eyelids twitched when he saw their expressions, a look of frustration and unwillingness on his face, and he nodded heavily: "I'm now with Jin An, and will be a member of the Navy from now on, albeit the covert kind."

King, Queen, and the others were instantly stunned; they exchanged glances, unable to believe what they had just heard.

The Navy?

They had become Navy people?

Their boss went out for a fight and came back as Jin An's man?

Queen was stunned for a second, then exclaimed exaggeratedly: "Wait! So, we're now... Navy dogs? Boss, you just accepted that?"

Kaido's expression darkened, but he didn't refute, a hint of forbearance flashing in his eyes.

He said in a deep voice: "Jin An has placed some restrictions on us, and we can't resist for now... Forget it."

His voice was low, but the helplessness in it was obvious.

Although Kaido was still unwilling, he knew that the situation left him no choice.

Not only was the opponent powerful, but his mind was also unpredictable.

Although he was still the formidable Kaido of the Beasts, Jin An now held an invisible rein next to his heart.

He sighed, turned to look at the others behind him, and his gaze became firm: "Let's go to Wano Country first; that will be where we develop next."

Although King, Queen, and the others were full of doubts and complexities, they understood the heaviness of Kaido's mood at the moment.

Without asking any further questions, they nodded and silently followed.

However, Kaido knew that with the mark Jin An had left next to his heart, his freedom was already lost.

He walked forward, his heart heavy.

......

On the warship, the atmosphere was still tense, especially after witnessing Kaido's brief but intense combat power, everyone's hearts were filled with some doubts and worries.

Kuzan stood on the deck, his gaze solemn, watching the receding sea in the distance, his brow slightly furrowed.

He broke the silence, his voice carrying a hint of incomprehension: "Jin An, is letting Kaido go like this letting a tiger return to the mountain?"

Jinbe, who was beside him, stared intently at Jin An, his eyes also filled with a strong desire to know, as if waiting for Jin An's explanation.

Kaido was a well-known monster on the sea, and the battle just now was far more complicated than they had imagined, so how could it end so simply?

Facing everyone's doubts, Jin An seemed relaxed and at ease.

He shrugged, seemingly not taking the matter to heart: "I have ways to restrain him; he won't dare to mess around. Strictly speaking, he's one of my people now, although—he was coerced by me."

"Ah!!?"

The surrounding marines all exclaimed in surprise, their eyes filled with disbelief.

They didn't understand what means Jin An had used to make Kaido—the once invincible "King of the Beasts"—obediently submit.

They all knew Kaido's character, tyrannical and arrogant, how could he be easily suppressed by anyone, especially by Jin An's nonchalant handling.

Looking at their dumbfounded expressions, Jin An just smiled faintly, stretched out a palm, and pressed down in the air: "Relax, Kaido has now gone to Wano Country to mine sea prism stone; consider it giving him some proper work to do."

His tone was understated, but his words revealed an unquestionable confidence, as if Kaido had completely become a pawn in his hand.

Jinbe and Kuzan exchanged glances, still full of doubts, but unable to glean any more information from Jin An's calm expression.

Jin An continued: "His freedom has now been restricted by me; as long as he dares to move, I can subdue him at any time."

Kuzan raised an eyebrow, still somewhat hesitant, but seeing Jin An's nonchalant expression, he didn't pursue the matter further.

As for the surrounding marines, although they couldn't fully understand Jin An's operation, they cheered when they heard that the powerful opponent Kaido had been subdued and sent to do manual labor.

Cheers rang out over the warship, and the atmosphere became relaxed and warm.

The unease in everyone's hearts gradually dissipated, replaced by trust in Jin An and anticipation for the future.

Jin An quietly looked at these marines and smiled slightly, his heart at peace.

The cheers of the marines gradually subsided, but the respect and admiration remained undiminished.

Everyone on board couldn't help but cast worshipful gazes at Jin An on the deck, as if he were an unshakeable giant peak, standing in everyone's heart.

"Admiral Jin An is truly amazing!"

"Yeah! We thought the fight with a monster like Kaido would be a fierce battle, but we didn't expect it to end so quickly."

"It's an honor to have such a leader!"

"......"

The marines' tone was tinged with awe, their eyes locked on Jin An, who was still calm and composed on the deck, as if looking at a legendary existence.

Kuzan stood aside, his hands in his pockets, and although he didn't join the discussion, the admiration in his eyes was hard to hide.

Even he, who had experienced countless storms, had to admit that Jin An's power had exceeded his expectations.

And Jinbe stood beside Jin An, still maintaining his usual calm, but his heart was surging.

He clearly knew how terrifying Kaido was; that kind of power and domineering confrontation was not something ordinary people could handle. Jin An was able to make Kaido obedient in such a short period of time, and the power displayed in this was far from what could be seen on the surface.

"Admiral Jin An's strength is already immeasurable," a veteran marine officer said in a low voice, his tone tinged with complexity. "When Fleet Admiral Sengoku personally selected him, I thought it was a bit overrated, but now it seems that he is stronger than we imagined."

He recalled Jin An's rise all the way, every step was amazing, but today's battle had completely elevated Jin An above ordinary people.

"Not an ordinary person... he's simply a monster!"

A marine joked, but his words were full of appreciation.

The people around him laughed, and the atmosphere relaxed a lot.

"But this is also good; with someone like Admiral Jin An around, we ordinary people feel more at ease."

Someone echoed, his voice full of peace of mind and trust.

Jin An listened to the discussion behind him and smiled slightly.

He stood by the side of the ship, his eyes gazing at the distant horizon, his expression still as calm as water.

"Admiral Jin An is truly the hope of the entire army; with him here, the Navy of the future will definitely be stronger," the marine soldiers said confidently, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Jin An did not turn his head to respond, but gently patted Jinbe's shoulder and said in a low voice: "Their trust in us is our greatest responsibility."

Jinbe nodded solemnly upon hearing this.

...