Chapter 322: The Sixth Top Officer, Kuzan!
Eh? That voice is…? Aokiji froze. He slowly turned his head to see a quiet, elegant black-haired woman sitting at a desk near the stairs. She was holding a thick, ancient book and looking at him with a faint smile, her expression calm and composed.
"...Ara, that's my line," Aokiji said, scratching his hair, a bit flustered.
"It's been a long time, Nico Robin," he sighed. "...I should have known. This library is called Ohara, after all. It's only natural that I would run into you here."
"It hasn't been that long," Robin chuckled, closing the book and placing it on the table. "We just saw each other on the Grand Line a year ago."
"Only a year? But back then, you were so panicked, you either wanted to fight me to the death or get as far away from me as possible," Aokiji said with a bitter smile. "But now…"
Fate is a fickle thing. Who would have thought that the pathetic girl he had been silently watching for so many years, who had been constantly on the run, hiding in the shadows, would now be the one looking down on him, a lost and lonely soul, with such an elegant and confident demeanor?
"Because this is the Curtain Call's territory," Robin said, taking a sip of her coffee, her tone casual. "And you're no match for my captain, are you?"
"…" Aokiji's eye twitched. So cruel. This girl, she looked so calm and collected, but she clearly held a grudge! But he could only surrender. After all, though he had been silently protecting her for a long time, he had also wronged her. In front of Robin, he could never stand tall.
"It looks like you're doing well here," Aokiji said, changing the subject. He looked around at the people quietly reading in the library, and his gaze finally returned to Robin. "Even better than I had imagined."
"Is that so surprising?" At the mention of that name, Robin smiled, a hint of softness in her eyes. "After all, what Lord Shane has given me is a real home, a real place to belong, not just temporary shelter."
Aokiji instinctively nodded, then noticed the change in Robin's gaze. He raised an eyebrow and clicked his tongue. There's a story here. Hmm, why do I feel a little sour? Like my cabbage has been… Cough, never mind. That man is, by any standard, the greatest hero of our time. He's no pig.
"That man is truly remarkable," Aokiji said after a moment's thought.
"Remarkable enough to attract a former Marine Admiral all the way here?" Robin raised an eyebrow, her gaze falling on the expert badge on Aokiji's chest. "But, if you could have just walked in openly, why did you have to borrow the scholar's identity to 'inspect' us?"
Aokiji looked down and awkwardly removed the badge that the lemon-themed girl had put on him. He held up his hands. "Ara, so you've seen through me completely."
"The one who received you was that girl, right? It seems that cute little fool mistook you for someone else and went to all that trouble for nothing. I'll have to call her and have her go back to the port to receive the real scholar," Robin said, dialing a Den Den Mushi. "So, you fake scholar, what were the results of your inspection?"
Aokiji was silent for a moment. He stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the bustling streets and the busy crowds. "To be honest, it's even better than I had imagined," he said quietly. "Everything here, the order, the prosperity, the development… and the smiles on people's faces, it's all very surprising."
"Surprising?" Robin hung up the call and looked at his back, amused. "Ara, did you think all the positive news you've heard about the Curtain Call was just us exaggerating?"
"Not at all," Aokiji shook his head. "But seeing is believing. It's much more shocking in person."
There was one more thing he didn't say out loud. In the past, present, and future, this sea had never been short of people who talked about ending the old era and starting a new one. But the one who could actually put their ideals into practice, who was step-by-step changing the world… perhaps it really was only that man.
Hearing his words, Robin's eyes flickered. She closed her book and said softly, "Then, Mr. Kuzan, now that you have seen the true face of the Curtain Call's territory, what do you plan to do next?"
Aokiji turned and leaned against the window, his eyes behind his sunglasses looking up at the ceiling, as if in thought. After a moment, he smiled and asked, "What do you think? With what you know about me, what should I do?"
Robin picked up her coffee cup and swirled it. "The old Admiral Aokiji, who followed a 'lazy justice,' would probably have chosen to continue to observe, or even to leave due to various concerns. But the current you, the traveler Kuzan, now that you've come here, I'm sure you already have the answer in your heart, don't you?"
"Yes, I do. So what am I still hesitating for…" Aokiji murmured. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, his gaze was firm, as if he had finally made a decision.
"I want to see Shane. Can you arrange a meeting for me, Nico Robin?"
Robin's lips curved into a slight smile, as if she wasn't surprised by his answer. "Of course. But before that, you need to answer a question for me."
"What question?"
"Your position," Robin said, her tone serious as she looked him straight in the eye. "Who are you, right now, as you come to see my captain? A former Marine Admiral? A lost traveler? Or…"
"A seeker who has finally found his way," Aokiji said after a moment's thought, a smile on his face. "A person who wants to witness the new era with his own eyes, and even to participate in it."
"A Kuzan who is no longer lost… that sounds terrifying," Robin smiled. "Welcome aboard, member of the main crew of the Curtain Call, the sixth top officer, Mr. Kuzan. Your room on the ship has already been prepared for you. It's next to Kuma's. If you can't find it, just ask him. Also, there will be a welcome party in the Galaxy Sea tonight. Be sure to come. Don't be late."
"Eh?" Aokiji was stunned. What's going on? It was as if the Curtain Call had known he was coming all along, had even dug a pit for him to fall into. "That's it? I don't need to meet Shane? No test or anything?"
"The captain…" Robin rested her chin on her hand and looked out the window with a smile. "He's probably very busy right now. We'll all see him at the party tonight anyway. It's the same thing. As for a test, the captain probably told you back in the East Blue, didn't he? If you were ever willing to come, there would always be a place for you in the Curtain Call."
He did say something like that… Aokiji was trying to remember when Robin's voice came again. "Oh, right. The captain also asked me to pass on a message to you. This was also prepared for you a long time ago."
"What is it?"
"Welcome home, Kuzan."
Aokiji was stunned. After a long time, he let out a slow breath, and the expression on his face softened. "I see… Then, I'll be in your care, my comrade and senior, Nico Robin."
Leaving the library, Aokiji's mindset had completely changed. He tried to get used to the fact that he was now a member of this place, and he smiled as he walked down the street. Lunchtime had just ended. The sun was just right. In the distance, he could hear the laughter of children playing in the square, and the air was filled with the scent of freshly baked bread. In this sea protected by that man named Shane, even time itself seemed to have slowed down. "This is nice," Aokiji remarked.
As he approached the port, he saw two tourists smiling as a member of the Garrison Corps returned their wallet. You can even get your wallet back if you lose it? Aokiji was amazed. It seemed that little girl was right. The security here was so good it was almost unsettling.
He also noticed a one-meter-tall surveillance Den Den Mushi following the Garrison member, leisurely munching on a vegetable leaf. It had undoubtedly played a big part in finding the wallet. He remembered seeing these things on Golden Lion Shiki's flying island. But Shiki had used them to monitor the populace and maintain his oppressive rule, while the Curtain Call was using them to benefit the people. An interesting contrast.
Well then, his journey was over. Now, as a top officer of the Curtain Call, he would ride his bicycle to the banquet.
In the next moment, Aokiji froze, his jaw dropping as he stared at the empty shore. Eh? Wait! Where's my bicycle?!?!
[You have sacrificed Kuzan's bicycle. You have received 4,000 points.]
[Sacrifice: Kuzan's bicycle]
[Quality: Epic]
[Appraisal: A bicycle that was just bought a year ago. After finally forming a bond with its owner, it has met the same fate as its predecessor.]
[Remaining Points: 12,495 → 16,495]
"The bond wasn't strong enough," Shane said with a regretful look, closing the system panel. "It's a full 500 points less than the last one." He had just returned to Mistral Island. As he was passing the island with the Ohara Library, he had sensed a familiar presence and had seen a familiar bicycle. And then, for some reason, the bicycle had just thrown itself at him, wanting to come home with him. What could he do? He had to take it. —Just consider it a welcome gift for the new top officer, Comrade Kuzan.
Knock knock.
The door was pushed open. There was only one person who would enter without asking. Shane didn't even have to look up to know who it was. "What, are the pirates all sorted out?"
"Yes, Master. A total of 16,300 pirates signed up for the challenge. After a preliminary screening, 13,400 were deemed eligible," Angewomon said, respectfully handing him a file.
"13,400 out of 16,000?" Shane put down his teacup, raising an eyebrow. "That's a high percentage. Over 80%."
His plan was, as Aokiji had guessed, to clean up the New World. The Marine Headquarters had been beaten down, and it was time to deal with the pirates. But the sea was vast. Even with the Curtain Call's current strength, it would be too inefficient to hunt them down one by one. So he had decided to lure them in. Some of the smarter pirates would undoubtedly see through his intentions. But it didn't matter. It was an open secret. There would always be ambitious people who would be willing to risk their lives for a chance.
The intelligence department would carefully screen them, using their past information and, at the registration, having Angewomon and Shiryu use their abilities to further confirm. The pirates would be divided into three groups—those who were pirates in name only and hadn't done anything wrong, who would be politely turned away; those who had done bad things but not enough to deserve death, who were more suited for prison or re-education; and those whose hands were stained with the blood of the innocent, the irredeemable villains. Only the third group would be allowed to enter the challenge.
To avoid killing any innocents, the screening criteria were actually quite lenient. There would undoubtedly be some who slipped through the cracks. But even so, over 80% had been classified in the third category! All he could say was, as expected of the New World, the concentration of scum here was just too high.
"Yes, Master," Angewomon nodded respectfully. "Also, Robin just told me about Mr. Kuzan joining us…"
"I already know about Aokiji," Shane waved a hand. "Get everyone together for the party tonight. Before that, I'll go and take care of these pirates." He stood up and looked out the window at the bustling crowd, a grin on his face. "Let's go and see those ignorant scumbags."
The challenge was being held on Mistral Island because of the massive, ancient coliseum on its southwest coast, which could hold tens of thousands of people. But unlike the one in Dressrosa, this one had been abandoned for decades and had only just been put back into use.
Tens of thousands of pirates were gathered here, the air thick with their boisterous shouts. Among them were many with bounties over 100 million, and the two highest had bounties over 800 million. Their eyes gleamed with greed and ambition.
After waiting for a long time, some of them grew impatient and began to heckle.
"Hey! When is Shane coming out?!"
"Is he scared? Haha!"
"Yeah, he's strong, but he's still human! He probably didn't expect so many of us to show up! Hehe, we could drown him in our spit!"
Amidst the noise, suddenly—BOOM!
A black-and-red bolt of lightning struck down, and the entire arena exploded. The dust scattered, and the pirates instantly fell silent. When the smoke cleared, a slender figure was standing in the center of the arena. His black hair flew in the wind, his greatcoat flapping. Shane stood with his hands in his pockets, his calm gaze sweeping over the crowd. Not a single person dared to meet his gaze. The ones who had been shouting the loudest were now sweating, their heads bowed, afraid of attracting his attention.
"Why so quiet all of a sudden?" Shane finally looked away and said flatly, "So, who's first?"
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