Chapter 18: No one steps up to challenge.

"Wait, stop throwing away kills, haven't you noticed? He's already defeated over twenty of our members!"

One phrase can awaken a dreamer.

The Whitebeard Pirates, though determined, aren't fools. If you said you defeated two or three, we could accept it. Even if you defeated seven or eight, we could understand it. After all, Lin Yan's strength has been proven through many battles.

But now? You've already taken down more than twenty of our crew members, without a scratch, without even breaking a sweat. And the crucial point is, he still looks like he wants more. Why is this newcomer so obsessed with fighting in the arena?

"I've got it!" shouted a crew member who suddenly jumped up, pointing at Lin Yan. "This guy is definitely doing this on purpose, setting a trap to lure us in. Everything he's done is just an act. This guy has a heart of black!"

"Brother, there's no need to fish like this!" he continued. "From the start, this damn crook has been casting his net, silently waiting for us to bite. And we actually bit. Damn it, we've paid the price!"

"Two hundred thousand Beli!" shouted one.

"Two hundred thousand isn't much; I put in a million Beli!" shouted another.

"I put in eight hundred thousand!" came another voice.

"I put in six hundred thousand just to cut in line," confessed yet another.

Hearing this, the surrounding crew members began to realize the truth. Lin Yan did this for the money, for the tickets! Damn! Just for two hundred thousand Beli, he milked them dry!

Once they realized Lin Yan's strength, the Whitebeard Pirates crew members who had previously been eager to challenge him regretted it bitterly. Some even spent over a million Beli just to cut in line. Now, having spent so much, they ended up just paying tuition fees. Damn it... They're shattered!

Looking at the pile of cash beside Lin Yan, the crew members of the Whitebeard Pirates all wore expressions of pain. This was all the tuition fees they had handed in! The root cause of this outcome? In the end, it was because they all lost their heads, ignoring everything, just to kick Lin Yan!

And now? After going round and round in circles, all that money piled up has ended up in Lin Yan's pocket. That day, Lin Yan made a killing. Similarly, it was also a day when the Whitebeard Pirates crew members cursed loudly. Damn it. They've never seen someone so shamelessly greedy for money.

"No decency!" someone shouted. "Did our Whitebeard Pirates' money just get given away like that?"

"This is outrageous! You dare take money from our ship?" another exclaimed.

"Shameless!" cursed another crew member.

But they could only swear and curse, for they couldn't win. After this day, they learned their lesson. In the future, without absolute strength, they would never again engage in any transactions involving money! It was worse for those who participated and paid the tuition fees. The sound of broken hearts was everywhere.

"Why is no one coming up?" taunted Lin Yan. "Where are they? Don't hesitate! Where's the blood of the Whitebeard Pirates? Weren't you saying you'd show me? Make me understand why the flowers are so red?! Weren't you all saying you'd kick me off the ship? Come on, I'm right here. Kick me, trample me, do as you please. This is a rare chance; you might miss it!"

Seeing that no one had come up for a long time, Lin Yan quickly launched a broadside. However, after seeing the truth, the Whitebeard Pirates crew members all sat quietly, unwilling to move or speak. Previously, it was because of his taunts that they lost their heads. Now, they weren't listening.

Seeing that no one in the crowd was speaking, Lin Yan fell silent. He looked at his system.

"Mission Two: Defeat three enemies with a bounty of 300 million within ten days! Current Progress: [1/3]"

Among the twenty people he defeated, not one had a bounty of 300 million Beli, leaving the mission stagnant. And now, no one was stepping forward to challenge him. Lin Yan grew a bit anxious. This won't do! He turned his gaze to the captains of the Whitebeard Pirates. The regular crew members didn't have bounties of 300 million Beli, but the captains? Surely they did!

"Captains, how about you come up and give it a try?" he called out.

Upon hearing this, the silent crowd on the Moby Dick suddenly erupted in noise.

The entire crew of the Whitebeard Pirates, numbering over sixteen hundred, was stunned.

What was happening?

"Is he really planning to challenge a division captain?" someone whispered.

"That's absurd!"

"Do you think defeating a few regular crew members qualifies you to challenge a division captain?"

"Division captains are the elite fighters of the Whitebeard Pirates, not just ordinary crew members."

"You're being arrogant."

"Don't forget, you've already faced over twenty of our crew, and now you want to challenge a division captain while you're tired? Are you out of your mind?"

"You have some skills, but you're far from matching our division captains."

"Stop now, newbie, before it's too late. That's the best way to save face!"

The crew initially felt bewildered and shocked, followed by disbelief. Just as they said, defeating ordinary crew members wasn't a big deal. And now, this upstart was looking to challenge a division captain? The ship echoed with mockery. Each face wore a varying degree of a smirk.

Indeed, he was a newbie. How could a mere upstart hope to compare with a division captain? Compared to the mocking crew members, some of the 16th division, who had seen Lin Yan fight against Izo, simply smiled without saying a word. Those who knew the inside story understood that Lin Yan hadn't yet shown his full strength.

At that moment, a deep voice came from the deck of the Moby Dick. Jozu stood up, his deep voice resonating, "In that case, I'll be your opponent!"

Jozu, the captain of the Third Division, stepped forward. Known as the Shining Fruit user and the true vice-captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, Jozu's strength was second only to Whitebeard and Marco.

Jozu's strength and loyalty had earned him the title of one of the mainstays of the Whitebeard Pirates​​. The crew's enthusiasm began to heat up gradually. Many of the Whitebeard Pirates knew they were no match for Lin Yan, and continuing to fight would only end in disaster. But now that a division captain had personally stepped in, dealing with a newbie seemed like it should be a piece of cake.

"Come on!" When Lin Yan saw Jozu, his eyes sparkled.

Jozu wasn't much of a talker. He just nodded silently, like with Izo earlier. Since private fights were forbidden in the Whitebeard Pirates, Jozu had long forgotten how long it had been since he fought! Lin Yan's appearance reignited his interest. And incidentally, he'd test the strength of the person who defeated Izo!

After speaking, Jozu unleashed his Devil Fruit ability. On his body, a layer of sparkling diamonds reflected the sunlight and covered his skin. Only half his face was visible. If Marco is the sharpest spear of the Whitebeard Pirates, then Jozu is the hardest shield!

"Bull Charge!!" Jozu stomped on the deck, and the Moby Dick, floating on the sea, sank a little. Like a meteor, he raised his diamond-covered fist and slammed it toward Lin Yan!

Facing Jozu's attack, Lin Yan didn't dodge. A layer of square-patterned Armament Haki covered his fist. Facing the charging Jozu, he threw a punch.

"Boom!!" Their fists collided, hard against hard, flesh against flesh. A wave of air spread out from them as the center. The flag of the Whitebeard Pirates fluttered noisily. The resulting shockwave made it difficult for the surrounding crew members to stand firm. After one punch, they were evenly matched.

"Not only is he fast, but his strength is also formidable?" Having experienced Lin Yan's strength, Izo was most knowledgeable about his speed. Lin Yan's speed was incredibly fast. So fast that even his Observation Haki could barely track it. But he never imagined that in terms of strength, Lin Yan would also be consistently terrifying.

Who is Jozu? The hardest shield of the Whitebeard Pirates. In terms of strength, he's second only to their father. Almost no one but their father could match him. But today, Jozu met his match. And his match was someone who matched him in strength!

"Strong!" Similarly, division captains like Marco, Vista, and Namur also noticed this detail. As their captain, Whitebeard, after seeing this scene, nodded repeatedly, praising, "Good move!"

At this moment, the crew members of the Whitebeard Pirates around them were shocked beyond belief. Especially after seeing them evenly matched after one punch, they couldn't believe it.

Bear in mind, before this, Lin Yan had fought over twenty crew members in a row. And each crew member fought hundreds or even thousands of moves. That's a total of over a thousand rounds! Even if you were a cow, you'd be worn out eventually, right? But Lin Yan here seemed to have endless stamina.

He's cheating, isn't he?

Of course he is.

Aside from cheating, everyone thought of a second reason. Perhaps, when he was dealing with those twenty people, he didn't even use his true strength. The thought of this made many people break out in a cold sweat.

It's possible, and highly likely. If his strength far surpasses that of ordinary crew members, doesn't that mean the 1,600 people of the Whitebeard Pirates have been completely fooled by a newcomer? Everyone had one thought in mind: We've been royally screwed! From the beginning, this newcomer had laid out an elaborate trap, just waiting for them to charge in recklessly and fall into someone else's pond.

The crew of the Whitebeard Pirates quickly figured out the situation. However, once they understood it, they felt extremely uncomfortable, as if they had swallowed a fly. Damn it. Previously, they had only heard of people who harm others without benefiting themselves, people who scam others without leaving any bones. But that was just hearsay. When they actually encountered such a person, all 1,600 people on the ship widened their eyes in disbelief!

Unfortunately, nobody cared about their feelings. Lin Yan and Jozu's battle continued. Jozu, as a top-tier fighter of the Whitebeard Pirates, did not disappoint. Especially with his Diamond Fruit giving him formidable defensive abilities. Having great strength was one thing, but being as tough as a diamond was another. Just his defense alone was enough to give Lin Yan a hard time. Not to mention Jozu's extensive combat experience. In their exchanges, Lin Yan found it rare to gain the upper hand against him.

It made sense, after all, Jozu is a first mate of the Whitebeard Pirates, and what does that mean? It means he is comparable to an admiral! To be on par with an admiral, Jozu's strength couldn't possibly be weak! However, Jozu also frowned slightly. He wasn't having an easy time either. Lin Yan was putting him under a lot of pressure! Perhaps his strength could match Lin Yan's. But in terms of speed, Lin Yan was far superior. If not for his Diamond Fruit's tough defense, Jozu might already be at a disadvantage!

And, according to Izo, Lin Yan is also a Devil Fruit user. In this long fight, Lin Yan hadn't used his Devil Fruit powers at all. It showed that this guy's strength might be above his own. Jozu became even more serious!

"Izou told me you're a Devil Fruit user too!" Jozu shouted to Lin Yan. "Show me your full strength!"