Chapter 325: The Colosseum
After finishing a breakfast laced with nostalgic flavors, Charlotte paused, looking out at the bustling street.
The mix of familiarity and foreignness stirred something deep in his heart.
"Some things… can never be returned to," he murmured with a soft sigh.
The women around him didn't quite understand his sudden melancholy, but seeing the expression on his face, none of them said a word.
"Come on, let's keep looking around. No trouble today."
Charlotte turned away from the street with one last glance.
Robert and the others were momentarily stunned by his unusual tone.
No trouble? Since when did their father ever say that?
But after yesterday's "Caesar Incident," none of them dared object. They obediently followed their father around the city, still haunted by the memory.
(Caesar: …)
The group of over twenty people drew attention wherever they went.
After all, the sheer presence of the group was overwhelming:
The women were elegant and stunning, the men handsome, and the children adorable.
More than that, their very aura exuded nobility and power.
The civilians instinctively stepped aside, avoiding conflict at all costs.
Charlotte paid no attention to the surrounding crowd and leisurely led his group through the streets.
But before long, the commotion began.
"Move! Move! The Eight Treasures Navy is coming!"
A panicked voice rang out.
The crowded streets quickly cleared, leaving only a few vendors nervously clinging to their stalls.
Charlotte looked up and saw a large group approaching—at the front, a burly middle-aged man flanked by armored generals.
Their expressions were grim.
Charlotte immediately recognized him.
"Well, if it isn't Chinjao. Heard you got smacked around by Garp two years ago. Oh? And what happened to that famous drill head of yours? Can't see it anymore!"
A classic backhanded greeting.
Chinjao froze mid-step.
Then his face twisted with rage.
Garp—the name alone struck a raw nerve. And the loss of his signature drill-head? A wound that never healed.
The generals beside him panicked, sensing his fury and quickly held him back.
Ever since he'd been returned by the Navy, Garp's name had become taboo in the Flower Country. Every time it was mentioned, Chinjao would erupt.
He glared at Charlotte, the old sword scar on his forehead pulsing with rage.
"Charlotte, what's your purpose in the Flower Country?"
He spoke through gritted teeth, yet strangely, there was a newfound courage in his voice.
Charlotte smirked.
"Purpose? What else? Just sightseeing. Or do you plan to stop me?"
His tone was light, yet every word burned.
Chinjao trembled with anger, but kept his cool.
Seeing his enemy's contorted expression only made Charlotte more amused.
"I'm warning you. The Flower Country is one of the World Government's most important allies. If anything happens here, the Navy will arrive in half a day. You better behave!"
Chinjao warned, though his tone betrayed his lack of confidence.
After all, not even the Admirals could do much to Charlotte. What could West Blue's half-baked Navy hope to do?
Charlotte chuckled.
"Relax. I won't cause any trouble… as long as no one provokes me first. Fair enough?"
With that, he waved dismissively and walked past.
Chinjao stared for a long moment, then quietly exhaled.
He believed Charlotte. The man was ruthless, yes—but not senseless.
Charlotte was known for keeping his word.
Still, Chinjao kept his distance, trailing the group from afar—not to protect them, but to prevent others from provoking them and bringing disaster upon the Flower Country.
Charlotte didn't mind and let Chinjao tail them.
The streets slowly returned to their usual bustle.
The Flower Country had plenty of sights to see.
Charlotte and his family wandered happily through it all.
Meanwhile, Chinjao remained utterly baffled.
This was the Charlotte Rockefeller.
One of the Four Legends of the New World.
And yet he was… sightseeing?
Didn't he know his New World territories were being nibbled away?
Eventually, the group arrived at a towering building—something Charlotte had noticed from the moment he stepped off the ship.
"Is this… a colosseum?"
He asked, eyes narrowing.
Activating his Observation Haki, the interior immediately became clear to him.
"Interesting. A colosseum, huh? Let's check it out."
Charlotte led the group forward.
The Flower Country's colosseum was a famed local landmark—briefly mentioned in the original timeline.
Charlotte had always wanted to see it.
After paying the entrance fee, the group found seats in the VIP section.
In the center of the arena, two swordsmen clashed in an intense duel.
The crowd roared with excitement.
"That's Baoyisi's 30th consecutive win! Think he can break the record?"
"No way. I saw the guy who set the 100-win record years ago. Baoyisi can't compare."
"Exactly! The one who set that record was none other than Chinjao the Drill! Baoyisi's got a long way to go."
Charlotte caught every word of the chatter.
He glanced over at Chinjao, who had taken a seat not far behind them.
Just then—
"Dad! Can I enter the fight?"
Esdeath suddenly spoke, her fighting spirit barely contained.
She looked at the colosseum as if it was made just for her.
Her hand rested on her sword hilt, eyes blazing.
Charlotte looked at his eldest daughter and nodded.
"Go. Use this chance to sharpen your swordsmanship."
Esdeath's skills had reached a bottleneck—she stood at the threshold of sword mastery.
Breaking through would elevate her to the level of a true swordmaster.
But that final push wouldn't come easy.
She needed to face more swordsmen, to test her path.
Right now, she was still lost—unsure of her own style.
Her sword lacked soul.
Charlotte, as the World's Greatest Swordsman, saw this clearly.
And he had told her as much.
Esdeath now understood why she had yet to cross that final boundary.
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